Assessment of natural radioactivity levels in soil sample from Botteng Utara Village, Mamuju Regency Indonesia

Abstract

High background radiation areas usually are correlated to the high concentration of primordial radionuclides activity from Uranium/Thorium series and 40K. This paper reported the natural radioactivity level in soil sample was taken from Botteng Utara village area. The activity of primordial radionuclide such as 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were investigated from the soil by gamma spectrometry. In order to evaluate the radioactivity levels of the area, Radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the absorb dose rate (D), the annual effective dose rate (E), the external hazard index (Hex), and internal hazard index (Hin) were calculated and compared with the internationally approved value. The concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K measured by gamma spectrometry are lies in the range 268.90 to 2921.17, 993.07 to 3153.81, and 115.72 to 438.26 Bq.kg-1respectively. The average and maximum annual effective dose received by Botteng Utara resident from terrestrial gamma rays are 10.40 and 18.62 mSv y-1, which is the maximum received by resident of Tande-Tande hamlets. This present work clarify that Botteng Utara is an area with high background radiation exposure from primordial radionuclides activity.