The Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 15 No 2 (2011): 130 – 137

 

 

 

ASSESSMENT OF RADIATION HEALTH RISK IN CAMERON HIGHLANDS TEA PLANTATIONS

 

Zaini Hamzah¹, Seh Datul Riduan^1* and Ahmad Saat²

 

¹Faculty of Applied Sciences,

 ²Institute of Science,

Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor

 

*Corresponding author:  sehdatulriduan@yahoo.com

 

 

Abstract

Exposure to the natural radiation is quite common except that the level varies from one place to another. The level of radiation will depend on the type of rocks and soil on that particular area, where the granitic rocks tend to contribute more to the background radiation. The present study was conducted in two of the Tea Plantations in Cameron Highlands, where it has been in operation for more than 50 years. The landscape is hilly type and the workers have to pluck the tea leaves manually. Practically, there are spending long hours in the plantation area. There were thirteen locations for soil sampling and surface dose in-situ measurement. Soil samples were taken back to the UiTM laboratory in Shah Alam for further analysis. Samples were clean, dried, ground and sieve to obtain homogenous samples before analysis. Samples were packed in a plastic container around 400 g, sealed and leave it for 3 weeks to allow radionuclides to reach secular equilibrium, before counting using gamma spectrometer with HPGe detector. The spectrum was analysed using gamma vision software to calculate the activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ⁴⁰K.  From the radium equivalent values, one can estimate the external hazard index, the absorb dose and cumulative effective dose received by the person who spend their time in the study area. The results show the external hazard index more than one for one of the tea plantation, but the cumulative effective dose is still below the recommended level.

 

Keywords: gamma spectrometer, radium equivalent, external hazard index, surface dose, intermediate igneous rock

 

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