Gamma radiation and indoor radon concentrations in the western and southwestern regions of Saudi Arabia.

The exposure of the population to natural gamma radiation in air and to indoor radon gas was investigated in Makkah, AlBaha, Assir, Jazan and Najran regions in the western and southwestern of Saudi Arabia. The survey was performed by using LiF:Mg,Cu,P thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) for indoor and outdoor absorbed dose rates in air measurements in 885 locations, and a passive integrating ionizing system, equipped with an E-Perm Electret ion chamber, for radon concentration measurements in a total of 1119 dwellings. The ambient indoor rates vary from 54 to 191 nSv h, while it is in the range of 42-112 nSv h for the outdoor.

Measurement of radon levels in groundwater supplies of Riyadh with liquid scintillation counter and the associated radiation dose.

A national groundwater surveillance programme was started for investigation of natural radioactivity levels in the year 2007. This paper presents (222)Rn radioactivity concentration levels in well waters located in and around the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Water samples were collected from 171 wells in six different locations.

Radium-228 analysis of natural waters by Cherenkov counting of Actinium-228.

The activities of (228)Ra in natural waters were determined by the Cherenkov counting of the daughter nuclide (228)Ac. The radium was pre-concentrated on MnO(2) and the radium purified via ion exchange and, after a 2-day period of incubation to allow for secular equilibrium between the parent-daughter (228)Ra((228)Ac), the daughter nuclide (228)Ac was isolated by ion exchange according to the method of Nour et al. [2004.

Energy response simulation of 4pi gamma ionization chambers using Monte Carlo technique.

The energy response of 4pi gamma re-entrant well-pressurized ionization chambers was calculated using the MCNP4B Monte Carlo computer code. Two different chambers were simulated-one filled with argon and the other with nitrogen gases at 2 MPa pressure. The MCNP4B results were in good agreement with the experimental measurements and the EGS4 Monte Carlo theoretical results.