Abstract
On March 2011, a severe damage has occurred to Fukushima Di-iachi nuclear reactor complex in Japan following the huge earthquake and the resulting Tsunami. Consequently, vast amounts of radioactive fallout were released into the atmosphere and contaminated the environment in Japan. Soon after the accident, traces of anthropogenic radionuclides were detected in environmental samples collected in many parts in the northern hemisphere even very far away from Japan creating a global concern. There is no information about radioactive contamination in the Arabian Peninsula caused by the Japanese Fukushima nuclear accident. The first evidence of Fukushima radioactive fallout in Riyadh (24 degrees 43' N, 46 degrees 38' E), Saudi Arabia has been confirmed in April 8, 2011. The airborne fission products I-131, Cs-134 and Cs-137 were measured in air samples. The radionuclide concentrations were determined by identifying their characteristic gamma rays using a germanium detector. Their activity concentrations were studied as a function of time over a period of 20 days at the end of which they had mostly fallen below our limit of detection. The maximum activity concentration of I-131, Cs-134 and Cs-137 in air of, respectively, 323.7 +/- 18.5, 17.2 +/- 1.0 and 26.0 +/- 1.8 mu Bq m(-3) were observed on April 10-11, 2011. The I-131/Cs-137 and Cs-134/Cs-137 activity ratio values in air were presented and discussed. Finally, the effective doses to the public of Riyadh city from inhalation of (1)3(1)I, Cs-134 and Cs-137 due to contribution from Fukushima incident was found far below levels of concern. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.