Contribution of {sup 137}Cs to the total absorbed gamma dose rate in air in a Greek forest ecosystem: Measurements and Monte Carlo computations
- Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki (Greece)
The absorbed gamma dose rate in air 1 m above soil due to natural gamma emitters and {sup 137}Cs from the Chernobyl accident was determined inside a Quercus conferta Kit ecosystem in Northern Greece by combination of Monte Carlo simulations with the MNP code and in-situ gamma spectrometry measurements. The total absorbed gamma dose rate in air is about 64 nGy h{sup {minus}1}, where 40% of this value is due to {sup 137}Cs and 60% to natural gamma emitters. The Monte Carlo simulations indicated that the gamma absorbed dose rate in air due to {sup 137}Cs is mainly due (70%) to unscattered radiation and to a lesser extent (30%) to the scattered radiation. The results obtained with the Monte Carlo simulations for the unscattered radiation were in very good agreement with the experimental values deduced by in-situ gamma spectrometry measurements. From the combination of the Monte Carlo simulations and in-situ gamma spectrometry measurements a conversion factor C = 1 nGy h{sup {minus}1}/kBq m{sup {minus}2} was deduced for {sup 137}Cs. This factor must be used with caution and only for forest sites similar to the one used for this work.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 318655
- Journal Information:
- Health Physics, Vol. 76, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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