Radioactivity level of soil around a coal-fired thermal power plant of northwest China

Background: the acvity concentraons of natural radionuclides in soil around a coal-fired thermal power plant of northwest china were invesgated for assessing the radioacvity level. materials and methods: soil samples were collected around the coal-fired thermal power plant and their radioacvity levels were determined using gamma ray spectrometry. radiaon hazards were assessed by radium equivalent acvity (raeq),air absorbed dose rate (d) and annual effecve dose equivalent (aede). resultsthe acvity concentraons of226ra,232th and 40k ranged from 24.7 to 89.8,38.4 to 122.3 and 206.7 to 573.8 bq kg-1 with an average of 49.7,63.5 and 396.3 bq kg-1,respecvely. the mean raeq value was less than the recommended limit,while the mean values of d and aede were slightly higher than the corresponding world average. conclusion: the coal-fired thermal power plant enhanced the natural radiaon of surrounding soil environment.