Title: Investigation of gamma-ray shielding features of the red soil in the region between the Oltu-Şenkaya districts in Turkey

Authors: Burcu Akça

Addresses: Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Ardahan Health Services Vocational School, Ardahan University, Ardahan, Turkey

Abstract: In this study, gamma-ray shielding properties of the red soil in the region between the Oltu-Şenkaya districts were investigated by using the gamma-ray transmission method. The total mass attenuation coefficients (µ/ρ), total photon interaction cross-sections (σ_a), effective atomic numbers (Z_eff), effective electron densities (N_eff), linear attenuation coefficients (μ), mean free paths (λ), radiation protection efficiencies (RPE), half-value layers (HVL) and tenth value layers (TVL) were determined. Am-241 point source was used to produce gamma rays with 59.54 keV energy. In this experiment, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRFS) and a Si (Li) detector were used. Elemental analysis of soils was performed by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The experimental results were compared with the theoretical results of WinXCom and FFAST. It was observed that the gamma-ray transmission method for the determination of the soil parameters has delicate results.

Keywords: Turkey; Oltu; Şenkaya; red soil; EDXRFS; ICP-MS.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2025.154400

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2025 Vol.12 No.1, pp.40 - 59

Received: 17 May 2023
Accepted: 24 Sep 2024
Published online: 26 Jun 2026 *

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