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ASSESSMENT OF THE OUTDOOR GAMMA RADIATION LEVELS IN ALGIERS PROVINCE, ALGERIA
F Z Dehimi, A Seghour1, D Taieb-Errahmani1
1Département de l'Environnement et de la Sûreté Nucléaire, Centre de Recherche Nucléaire d'Alger, Algiers, Algeria.
Radiation Protection Dosimetry
|June 24, 2021
Summary
This study assessed outdoor gamma radiation in Algiers, Algeria, from natural sources and nuclear accidents. Results show terrestrial and cosmic ray dose rates, with minimal impact from Chernobyl and Fukushima fallout, establishing a radiological baseline.
Area of Science:
- Environmental radioactivity assessment
- Radiological protection studies
Background:
- Natural radioactivity and artificial radionuclides contribute to environmental radiation.
- Previous nuclear accidents (Chernobyl, Fukushima) and incidents (Algeciras) have dispersed radionuclides globally.
- Understanding baseline radiation levels is crucial for public health monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess outdoor gamma radiation dose rates in Algiers province, Algeria.
- To differentiate contributions from natural radioactivity, cosmic rays, and artificial radionuclides.
- To create radiological baseline maps for future environmental monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Field measurements of outdoor gamma radiation dose rates.
- Analytical calculations for cosmic ray dose rates.
- Geographic Information System (GIS) software (QGIS) for spatial mapping.
- Estimation of dose rates from specific artificial radionuclides like Cesium-137 (137Cs).
Main Results:
- Terrestrial gamma radiation dose rates varied from 14.3 ± 0.7 to 114.3 ± 5.7 nGy h⁻¹.
- Cosmic ray dose rates ranged from 32.021 ± 0.013 to 34.029 ± 0.367 nGy h⁻¹.
- External dose rate from 137Cs deposits was estimated below 0.3 nGy h⁻¹.
Conclusions:
- Established baseline outdoor gamma radiation levels in Algiers province.
- Confirmed minimal contribution of major nuclear accidents to current ambient dose rates.
- Developed radiological maps serve as a reference for detecting future radiation changes impacting public health.
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