This study focused on the determination of natural (238U, 232Th, and 40K) and artificial (137Cs) radionuclide concentrations both in 55 sediment samples collected from various depths in the Bosphorus and 5 soil samples from the coastline of the Bosphorus, Istanbul, using gamma-ray spectrometry with an HPGe detector. The mean activity concentrations of natural 238U, 232Th, and 40K and anthropogenic 137Cs were determined to be 11.41 ± 0.21 Bq kg-1, 6.87 ± 0.16 Bq kg-1, 369.61 ± 3.41 Bq kg-1, and 6.54 ± 0.11 Bq kg-1, respectively, in the sediment samples. The average activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs radionuclides in the soil samples were also measured to be 11.65 ± 0.18 Bq kg-1, 9.55 ± 0.15 Bq kg-1, 369.43 ± 3.09 Bq kg-1, and 4.57 ± 0.09 Bq kg-1, respectively. Radiological contour maps based on the activity concentrations of natural and artificial radionuclides in the sediment samples for the Bosphorus, Istanbul, were created. The total annual effective doses due to soil samples were calculated to be 34.58 μSv y-1.
Keywords: 137Cs; Bosphorus; Gamma-ray spectrometry; Radioactivity; Sediment; Soil.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.