In situ gamma-ray spectrometry in the environment using dose rate spectroscopy

In order to expand the application of dose rate spectroscopy to the environment, in situ gamma-ray spectrometry was first conducted at a height of 1 m above the ground to calculate the ambient dose rate and individual dose rate at that height, as well as the radioactivity in the soil layer for the detected gamma nuclides from the dose rate spectroscopy. The reliable results could be obtained by introducing the angular correction factor to correct the G-factor with respect to incident photons distributed in a certain range of angles. The intercomparison results of radioactivity using ISOCS software, an analysis of a sample taken from the soil around a detector, and dose rate spectroscopy had a difference of < 20% for Pb-214, Bi-214, Ac-228, Bi-212, Tl-208, and K-40, except for Pb-212 with low-energy photons, that is, < 300 key. In addition, the drawback of using dose rate spectroscopy, that is, all gamma rays from a nuclide should be identified to accurately assess the individual dose rate, was overcome by adopting the concept of contribution ratio of the key gamma ray to the individual dose rate of a nuclide, so that it could be accurately calculated by identifying only a key gamma ray from a nuclide. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.