Radioactivity investigation of sediment samples from Beni Haroun Dam using high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy

In this study, the levels of natural and anthropogenic radioactivity in the sediment samples, collected from Beni Haroun Dam, were investigated using gamma-ray spectrometry. The results obtained for the ²³⁸U, ²³²Th series, ⁴⁰K natural element and ¹³⁷Cs anthropogenic radionuclide are discussed. To evaluate the radiological hazard of radioactivity in samples, the absorbed dose rate, the annual effective dose, the radium equivalent activity Ra_{eq}, the external and internal hazard indices H_{ex} and H_{in} were calculated and presented in comparison with the data collected from different areas in the world.