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Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Evaluation of the Spatial Distribution of γH2AX following Ionizing Radiation
Published on: August 7, 2010
NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY AND EVALUATION OF RADIATION HAZARDS IN SOILS FROM GRANITOIDE-GRANITE GEOLOGICAL FORMATION IN
C M Alonso-Hernández1, A L Toledo-Sibello1, A Guillén-Arruebarrena1
1Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, AP5, Ciudad Nuclear, Cienfuegos, Cuba.
Abstract:
The natural radioactivity and the associated radiation hazards of soils from the Cumanayagua Granitoide-Granitic massif in the central south of Cuba have been studied. Mass activities of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K varied in the ranges 10.4-33, 4.6-21.7 and 381-1201 Bq kg-1, respectively. The radium equivalent activity (91.4 ± 22.1 Bq kg-1), absorbed dose rate (45.6 ± 11.1 nGy h-1), annual effective dose rate (56.1 ± 13.7 μSv y-1) and the external hazard index (0.25 ± 0.06) have been calculated and compared with the internationally approved values. According to these results, the area can be regarded as an area with normal natural background radiation and may not pose radiological risks to the inhabitants owing to harmful effects of ionizing radiation from the natural radionuclides in soils. This study provides background radioactivity concentrations in Cumanayagua Granitoide area and generate a baseline data for radiological mapping of Cuba in the future.
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