Investigation of natural radioactivity levels in West Anatolia granite plutons with multi variate statistical analysis methods

In this doctoral thesis, the scope of the environmental monitoring program carried out in Orhaneli, Çataldağ and Eğrigöz granite areas of Western Anatolia granite plutons, it is aimed to create of the radiometric database based on the geological origin of radiation, to map distributions processing obtained these data and to evaluate with multivariate statistical methods. For this purpose, totally 73 granite and 154 soil samples were taken, including from Orhaneli granite area 22 granite, 43 soil; from Çataldağ 28 granite 57 soil and from Eğrigöz 23 granite, 54 soil; activity concentration of natural gamma emitting radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) was measured by NaI (Tl) gamma spectrometry system. Also, to assess the geogenic radon potential, in situ instant soil gas radon was measured and the flux density of 222Rn from ground was calculated. The corresponding absorbed dose rates in air from all those radionuclides were in the range of (10-200 nGy h-1) recommended in the UNSCEAR (2000) report. This thesis study, which is mapping and setting out the relationship between geological structure and radiometric measurements by means of multivariate statistical methods, is an important data base for assessing the radiological risk on the basis of geological structure in Western Anatolia granite plutons (Orhaneli, Çataldağ and Eğrigöz).