Natural and man-made radioactivity in soils and plants around the research reactor of Inshass

The specific radioactivities of the U-series, 232Th, 137Cs and 40K were measured in soil samples around the Inshass reactor in Cairo, using a γ-ray spectrometer with a HpGe detector. The α-activity of 238U, 234U and 235U was measured in the same soil samples by surface barrier detectors after radiochemical separation and the obtained results were compared with the specific activities determined by γ-measurements. The α-activity of 238Pu, 239+240Pu, 241Am, 242Cm and 244Cm was measured after radiochemical separation by surface barrier detectors for both soil and plant samples. Then β-activity of 241Pu was measured using liquid scintillation spectrometry.