Alquds university

College of graduate study

Medical imaging department

Assessment of natural radioactivity in the

environment of Nablus

Prepared by: Hala Rabee

ID:1811023

Prepared for :Dr Adnan Al-Laham

2017/2018

1
 Abstract
Regarding the high cancer rate in nablus city palestine this study
have been performed to measure the environmental radioactivity
in 10 soil samples collected randomly from five locations using
gamma ray spectroscopy devise and compare the results with the
international and local standards.

Key words: radioactivity, gamma ray spectroscopy.

‫الخالصة‬
‫نظرا الرتفاع معدل السرطان في مدينه نابلس مقارنه بالمدن االخرى تم عمل هذه الدراسه‬
‫ مأخوذه بشكل عشوائي من خمس‬O‫لقياس االشعاع الطبيعي في عشر عينات من التربه‬
‫مواقع في مدينه نابلس باستخدام جهاز مقياس التحليل الطيفي ألشعه جاما ومقارنة‬
‫النتائج مع المقاييس العالميه والمحليه‬.

‫ مقياس التحليل الطيفي ألشعه جاما‬,‫ النشاط االشعاعي الطبيعي‬:‫الكلمات المفتاحيه‬.

2
 Table of Contents

No. Content Page

Abstract 2
Table of contents 3

List of figures 4

List of tables 5

List of abbreviations and sympols 6

Chapter one:introduction 7

1.1 Background 7
1.2 Problem statement 9

1.3 Objectives 9
Chapter two: methodology
2.1 Instrumentation 10

2.2 Site selection and sampling 10

2.3 Study stages 11

Chapter three: results and discussion

3.1 Measurements of existing radionuclide 12
3.2 Measurements of gamma ray dose rate 12
References 13

List of Figures
3
 No. Figure Page
caption
Fig.(1.1) Background radiation 8
Fig.(2.1) Nablus city and its 10
surrounded villages
map
Fig.(2.2) gamma ray spectroscopy 11
components

4
 No. Table caption Page
Table.(3.1) Gamma ray emitting 12
radionuclides
List of Tables

5
 is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 10 nm to 400 nm, shorter
UV than that of visible light but longer than X-rays
List of Abbreviations and Sympols

6
 Chapter one
Introduction
1.1-Background
Radiation is energy in motion, in the form of waves or streams of particles.[ CITATION nat \l
2057 ]

Radiation has two distinct categories depending on the ability of radiation to ionize matter:

1- Ionizing radiation:which can ionize matter either directly or indirectly because its
energy per quantum exceeds the ionization energy of the atom, including
electromagnetic photons such as (gamma rays, x-rays),light charged particles such as
(electron,positron) ,heavy charged particles such as (proton.alpha) and neutral
particles such as (neutrons).

2- Non ionizing radiation: which cannot ionize matter because it doesn’t carry enough
energy,including electromagnetic photons such as (radio waves, uv, microwaves)
[ CITATION erv2 \l 2057 ]

Despite the radiations benefits in medical imaging and radiotherapy but regarding to
ionizing radiation can be harmful and potentially lethal to living beings,due to the
biological effects it can produce in the patient body such as cancer development
owing to mutation of somatic sells.[ CITATION wik \l 2057 ]

Ionizing radiation may be emitted in the process of natural decay of some unstable nuclei or
following excitations of atoms and their nuclei in nuclear reactors, cyclotrons, x-ray machines
or other instruments [ CITATION sou \l 2057 ]

All living organisms are continually exposed to ionizing radiation which has always existed
naturally and referred to as background radiation.[ CITATION nat \l 2057 ]

Background radiation comes mainly from four sources as follows:

1-cosmic radiation

2-inhalation

7
3-ingestion

4-terrestrial radiation

[ CITATION nat \l 2057 ]

Fig.(1.1): background radiation.[ CITATION nat \l 2057 ]

The earth’s crust contains various radioactive isotopes such as uranium,

thorium, radon, tritium, carbon, and potassium among others. These isotopes
and their decayed products have differences in their half lives, which emit
various types of radiations such as alpha, beta and gamma rays

Uranium is a major source of alpha emitters. Beta and gamma radiation pose
also a significant threat to the human body because they can
trigger cancer[ CITATION aca \l 2057 ]

8
1.2- Problem statement: according to a Palestinian Ministry of Health’s report
published by al wafa news agency Nablus city has the highest cancer rate amongst the other
Palestinian cities, the cancer rate in Nablus is 120 per 100,000 persons in the past few years.
[ CITATION alw1 \l 2057 ]

And there are no studies have been performed to assess the natural radiation exposure to
determine whether it’s within the normal range or not.

1.3-objectives of research:

the aim of this study is to measure the natural radioactivity in nablus

environment and compare it with the international and local standards ,the main
goals of the study are:

1-identify the radionuclides existed .

2-measure the emitted gamma ray energies

3-compare the results with the international standards

9
 Chapter two
methodology
2.1-instrumentation
a gamma spectroscopy system to monitor the environmental
radioactivity.
A Complete Gamma Spectroscopy System Consists of:
Detector
Cooling System
Electronics
Analysis Software[ CITATION ort \l 2057 ]

2.2-site selection and sampling

Samplings will be performed within nablus city and measurements of
natural background radiation will be collected from five locations
selected randomly (rafedia, akraba, howara, bedia,and salfeet).

Fig.( 2.1):Nablus city map. [ CITATION goo \l 2057 ]

10
2.3-study stages

 Collect two soil samples from each location (rafedia, akraba,

howara, bedia,and salfeet)
 Make measurements using gamma spectroscopy

Fig.
(2.2):gamma ray spectroscopy components [ CITATION goo \l 2057 ]

11
 Chapter three
Results and discussion
3.1-Classification of the gamma ray emitting radionuclides and their
measurements will be listed
Radionuclide Radionuclide concentration(bq kg-1)

Table.(3.1) the existed gamma ray emitting radionuclides and their

concentration

3.2-Measurement of the emitted gamma rayes energies (kev) will be

recorded and compared with international standards.

Results within the normal range = a new hypothesis will be proposed

as to the increasing cancer rate in Nablus

Results higher than the normal range = a new studies should be

performed to deduce if there any correlation between the cancer cases
and the detected radiation.

12
References

1-radiation physics for medical physicists, graduate texts in physics, by

Ervin B.podgorsak.

2-http://www.wafa.ps/ar_page.aspx?id=tqjyY0a688833137256atqjyY0.

3-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionizing_radiation.

4-Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation: Sources report by United

Nations. Scientific Committee on the 
effects of Atomic Radiation.

5-https://nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/resources/fact-sheets/natural-background-
radiation.cfm.

6-https://www.google.com/search?
q=gamma+ray+spectroscopy&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahU
KEwi2yc2Vx9TeAhWD2aQKHRX1CDwQ_AUIEygB&biw=1024&bih=44
9#imgrc=1mSPlZrUpshk7M.

7-https://www.ortec-online.com/products/radiochemistry-health-physics-
research-industrial/gamma-spectroscopy.

13
14
15