THE EXPOSURE OF THE GREEK POPULATION TO NATURAL GAMMA-RADIATION OF TERRESTRIAL ORIGIN

The terrestrial natural radioactivity is a significant source of exposure of the population to ionising radiations. To evaluate the external doses received by the Greek population due to this source, soil samples from all Greek provinces have been collected and analysed using two high resolution gamma spectroscopy devices with germanium detectors of high purity (HPGe detectors). The concentrations of U-238, Ra-226, Ra-228, Th-228 and K-40 show significant variations, which correlate with the chemical consistence of soils from region to region. A theoretical evaluation of the dose equivalent rates due to the external natural gamma radiation of terrestrial origin has been made. The mean value does not differ greatly from the average dose rates in other countries of the world.