Full Length Research Paper

Natural radioactivity and dose rates in commercially-used marble from Afyonkarahisar - Turkey

I. Akkurt¹*, B. Oruncak² and K. Gunoglu¹

¹Suleyman Demirel University Fen-Edebiyat Fakultesi Fizik Bol. Isparta, Turkey.

²Afyonkocatepe Fen-Edebiyat Fakultesi Fizik Bol. Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: iskender@fef.sdu.edu.tr. Tel: +90 246 211 4033, Fax: +90 246 2371106.

Accepted 14 January, 2009.

   Abstract

The gamma radiation has been measured to determine natural radioactivity of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in some marble materials produced in Afyonkarahisar region of Turkey. The absorbed dose rate and effective dose rate have been obtained from those activities. The measurement have been performed using a γ-ray spectrometer contains NaI(Tl) detector and Multi – Channel – Analyser (MCA). The activity of marbles has ranged from 38,883 - 195,726 Bq/kg for ²³⁸U, from 32,165-47,814 Bq/kg for ²³²Th, and from 106,264 - 351,755 Bq/kg for ⁴⁰K. 

Key words: natural radioactivity, marble, NaI(Tl) spectrometer, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.