Measurement of Natural Radioactivity in Artificial Fertilizers Used in the Southeastern Anatolia Region and Its Effect on Soil

Abstract

In this study, the natural radioactivity values of the artificial fertilizers purchased from the regional dealers selling artificial fertilizers to the Southeastern Anatolia Region were determined. In addition, the natural radioactivity values of the fertilizer-free soil and fertilizer-applied soil from the application gardens in the Osmanbey Campus of the Faculty of Agriculture of Harran University and the natural radioactivity values of the natural fertilizer sample taken from the natural fertilizer facility opened with the cooperation of the European Union of Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality were measured. These measurements were carried out with a NaI(Tl) detector in the Nuclear Research Laboratory of the Physics Department of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Harran University. When we look at the average activity concentrations of the artificial fertilizers examined in this study, the 226Ra value was found as 19.9±2.5 Bqkg-1, the 232Th value as 11.03±0.7 Bqkg-1 and the 40K value as 149.7±7.1 Bqkg-1. These values are within the world average and it has been determined that the natural radiation values in the samples provided are not at a harmful level.