Vol. 9, 2024

Radiation Measurements

ASSESSING GAMMA DOSE RATES: AIRBORNE NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY MEASUREMENTS IN ALBANIA

Jurgen Shano, Elida Bylyku, Dritan Prifti, Kozeta Tushe, Brunilda Daci

Pages: 48-52

DOI: 10.37392/RapProc.2024.11

Our study’s main objective is to evaluate gamma dose rates in the air across the Republic of Albania. The Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics set up six monitoring stations in different parts of the country to measure how much radiation is present each month and year, and to figure out the total yearly exposure to natural radioactivity in the air. The monitoring system employed for gamma radiation is the GMT-based Gamma Dose Rate Monitoring System. The research has shown that the average radiation level for Albania is about 1.61 µSv ± 0.010 µSv/h, and the yearly estimate is around 587 µSv ±0.01 µSv/h. One interesting finding is that for three years in a row, Elbasan had the highest radiation reading, reaching up to 3,477 µSv. This number changed depending on the time of year, with the highest levels often happening during rainy days. These findings provide a baseline for monitoring environmental radioactivity and informing public health policies.
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