Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiation Hazards in Agricultural and Virgin Soil in the State of Kedah, North of Malaysia

Table 7

Comparison of natural radioactivity levels measured in soil in the present study with the values reported in other countries worldwide and established by UNSCEAR [2].

Region/country	Concentration in soil (Bq kg^−1)						⁢Absorbed dose rates ⁢ in air (nGy h^−1)
	^226Ra		^232Th		^40K
	Mean	Range	Mean	Range	Mean	Range	Mean	Range
Malaysia	66	49–86	82	63–110	310	170–430
United States	40	8–160	35	4–130	370	100–700	47	14–118
Japan	33	6–98	28	2–88	310	15–990	53	35–70
China	32	2–440	41	1–360	440	9–1800	62	2–340
India	29	7–81	64	14–160	400	38–760	56	20–1100
Egypt	17	5–64	18	2–96	320	29–650	32	20–133
Iran	28	8–55	22	5–42	640	250–980	71	36–130
Denmark	17	9–29	19	8–30	460	240–610	52	35–70
Spain	32	6–250	33	2–210	470	25–1650	76	40–120
Poland	26	5–120	21	4–77	410	110–970	45	18–97
Switzerland	40	10–900	25	4–70	370	40–1000	45	15–120
Portugal	44	8–65	51	22–100	470	25–1650	76	40–120
Bulgaria	45	12–210	30	7–160	400	40–800	70	48–96
Romania	32	8–60	38	11–75	490	250–1100	59	21–122
Portugal	44	8–65	51	22–100	470	25–1650	76	40–120
Present study	65.24	45.11–111.4	83.39	51.83–127.35	136.98	99.2–172.85	141.62	91.34–207.34
UNSCEAR, 2000	35		30		400		60	53–98