The Influence of Mount Sinabung Volcanic Ash and Phoshate Fertilizers on Natural Radionuclide Content in Agricultural Soils

The concentrations of natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in four
types of chemical fertilizers, the soil samples and Mount Sinabung Volcanic
Ash have been measured by gamma spectrometry with a high purity
germanium (HpGe) detector. The mean activity concentration of 226Ra,
232Th and 40K measured for Agricultural Soils are 27,69 Bq/kg, 57,31
Bq/kg, 294,04 Bq/kg (Jeraya Villages) and 34,79 Bq/kg, 84,16 Bq/kg,
175,50 Bq/kg (Tiga Panah Villlages), respectively. Then, activity
concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K measured for different fertilizer
samples were relatively high for 40K at 3406,605 Bq/kg and relatively low
for 226Ra and 232Th at 26,85 Bq/kg and 14,56 Bq/kg, respectively. Activity
concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K for Volcanic ash are 12,56 Bq/kg,
33,62 Bq/kg and 519,32 Bq/kg, respectively. The radiological hazards of
the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), absorbed dose and annual effective
are also evaluated in this study.