RADIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF OIL SHALE INWADI ALSHALLAL-JORDAN USING GAMMA RAYSPECTROMETER

摘要

The activity concentrations of natural radionu- clides in some oil shale samples from Wadi Al- Shallalah, North Jordan were measured using gamma ray spectrometry. The activity concentra- tions of 40K, 226Ra, and 238U in oil shale samples un- der investigation are found to ranges from 51.7±6.1 to 143.2± 8.3 Bq/kg, 19.7± 1.9 to 58.2±1.5 Bq/kg, and 72.9 ±4.4 to 182.4± 6.3 Bq/kg, with mean val- ues of 73.8± 6.7, 36.3 ± 2.1, and 122.2± 5.8 for 40K, 226Ra, and 238U respectively. From the measured activity concentration of the above mentioned radionuclides, the radium equivalent (Raeq), the absorbed dose rate (Dy), andthe annual effective dose (AEDE) the radiation haz-ard indices; external hazard (Hex) were calculated. The radium equivalent activity (Raeg) was 42.0 Bq/kg, where the absorbed dose rates (D,) was 18.7 nGy/h. The average value of the annual effective. dose (AEDE) was 23.0 uSv/y. The calculated haz- ard index value of Hex was less than unity. Results emphasize that the activity concentrations of the nat- ural radionuclides in the oil shale samples do not pose any potential health hazard.