Assessment of Environmental Gamma Radiation Dose Rate in Ardabil and Sarein in 2009

Background and Objectives: Gamma rays, the most energetic photons within the any other wave in the electromagnetic spectrum, pose enough energy to form charged particles and adversely affect human health. Provided that the external exposure of human beings to natural environmental gamma radiation normally exceeds that from all man-made sources combined, environmental gamma dose rate and corresponding annual effective dose were determined in the cities of Ardabil and Sar Ein.Materials and Methods: Outdoor environmental gamma dose rates were measured using an Ion Chamber Survey Meter in 48 selected locations (one in city center and the remaining in cardinal and ordinal directions) in Ardabil and Sar Ein. Ten more locations were monitored along the hot springs effluent in Sar Ein. Measurements of gamma radiation dose rate were performed at 20 and 100 cm above the ground for a period of one hour.Results: Average outdoor environmental gamma dose rate were determined as 265, 219, and 208 for Ardabil, Sar Ein, and along the hot spring effluent, respectively. The annual affective dose for Ardabil and Sar Ein residents were estimated to be 1.45 and 1.39 mSv, respectively.Conclusion: Calculated annual effective dose of 1.49 and 1.35 are appreciably higher than the population weighted average exposure to environmental gamma radiation worldwide and that analysis of soil content to different radionuclide is suggested.