Determining the level of radioactivity in Kırklareli and its surrounding and evaluation of human health and environmental pollution

The main factors of radiation exposure to living beings are natural and artificial radionuclides in the environment. These radionuclides are present in different levels in the soil and transfers to the livings by various ways such as breathing, nutrition, etc. In this thesis, the activity concentrations of natural (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) and artificial (137Cs) radionuclides in soil and sunflower were measured in Kırklareli province of Turkey. Seasonally soil samples were collected from 27 agricultural areas during 2018-2019 periods. The samples were analyzed at Central Research Laboratory of Kırklareli University by high purity germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometry. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs were found to be in the range of 8.38±0.75-56.85±0.76 Bq kg-1, 8.85±1.90-95.82±2.16 Bq kg-1, 106.29±14.58-926.86±14.93 Bq kg-1 and <0.12-6.72±0.53 Bq kg-1 for soil samples, respectively. The activity concentration of 40K ranged from 255.86±21.78 Bq kg-1 to 426.51±29.42 Bq kg-1, but the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 137Cs were found as negligible levels for sunflower samples. Soil to sunflower transfer factors for 40K was calculated and found to be in the range of 0.34-1.17. In order to investigate the radiological hazard; absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex) and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were determined, compared with other studies around the world and international approved values. The values for absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex) and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were determined in the range of 24.15-114.17 nGy h-1, 29.62-140.02 μSv y-1, 51.24-246.61 Bq kg-1, 0.14-0.67 and 0.12x10-3-0.56x10-3, respectively. In addition, soil gas radon concentrations was measured in agricultural areas by AlphaGUARD PQ 2000 radon monitor. The radon concentrations in soil gas varied from 1.23 to 27.75 kBq m-3 in winter and 1.27 to 64.45 kBq m-3 in summer. The radon concentrations were found higher in summer than in winter.