The Uniqueness of Natural Background Radiation in Mamuju Regency: Environmental and Individual Radiation Dose Adi R.A. Abdullah (a), Sidik Permana (a,b,c,d), Wahyu Srigutomo (d), Alan Maulana (e), Haryo Seno (e), Ismail Humolungo (b),Zulfahmi (c)
(a)Doctoral Program in Nuclear Engineering Department, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jl. Ganesha No. 10, Bandung, Indonesia.
(b)Master Program in Nuclear Science and Engineering Department, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jl. Ganesha No. 10, Bandung, Indonesia.
(c)Master Program in Physics of Teaching Department, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jl. Ganesha No. 10, Bandung, Indonesia
(d)Physics Department, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jl. Ganesha No. 10, Bandung, Indonesia.
(e)Indonesia^s National Research and Inovation Agency. Jl. Tamansari No. 71, Bandung, Indonesia.
Abstract
The natural radiation environment in an area containing radioactive mineral deposits will result in unique natural radiation levels. The higher content of radioactive elements, especially uranium and thorium, in soil and rocks causes high exposure to natural radiation. In this study, measurements of natural radiation levels were carried out in Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi, as the area with the highest exposure to natural radiation in Indonesia, using Scintilator NaI(Tl) and Geiger Muller to measure environmental radiation levels and personal dosimeters to measure doses. radiation absorbed by each individual. Measurements with the NaI(Tl) scintillator produced an average value of the environmental radiation dose rate of 0.3351 μ-Sv/hour and Geiger Muller of 0.770 μ-Sv/hour. The average annual effective annual dose is 0.5348 mSv per year from the NaI(Tl) scintillator data and 1.3606 mSv per year from the Geiger Muller data, which is still in the very low level radiation category and does not give any health effects. Meanwhile, from a personal dosimeter that calculates how much radiation an individual can absorb, an average dose rate of 0.944 uSv/hour is obtained and the average annual effective dose that can be received by an individual is 6.8347 mSv. Higher than the global effective annual dose that individuals can receive from natural sources of 2.4 mSv