Gamma-ray and neutron shielding properties of some soil samples

Gamma-ray and neutron shielding properties of five different types of soil samples, namely clay loam, clay, loam, sandy clay loam and sandy loam have been studied in the present paper. Gamma-ray shielding effectiveness of the soil samples was studied by mass attenuation coefficient, half-value layer thickness and exposure build-up factors (EBFs). The EBFs of the soil samples were calculated by GP (Geometrical Progression) fitting formula for the wide photon energy range (0.015-15 MeV) up to the penetration depths of 40 mean free paths. Fast neutron (2-12 MeV) removal cross-section of the soil samples was calculated by partial density method. The photon energy, chemical composition and penetration depth dependency of EBFs of all the soil samples have also been studied. The clay loam among the selected soil samples was found to be the good soil radiation shielding material. This study should be useful for various applications of soil for gamma-ray and neutron shielding.