Estimate of External Gamma Exposure Outdoors in Spain

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Abstract
Terrestrial gamma ray dose rate has been measured outdoors throughout the whole Spanish territory. This national survey was designed in such a way as to obtain a uniform and representative distribution of the measurement locations. In total, a set of 1053 data is available at this moment. Results obtained are shown in tabular, graphical and cartographical form and are related to the nature of the ground and other influencing factors. The geometric mean terrestrial gamma ray dose rate in air outdoors amounts to 44.03 nGy.h-1 with a geometric standard deviation of 1.72. From this value, the mean annual effective dose equivalent can be calculated when the duration of outdoor exposure is included, as well as the mean annual collective dose equivalent if the distribution of the Spanish population is taken into account. This dose is, of course, in addition to those received from other sources of natural radiation; principally, from the presence of radon gas in houses. In this way, a study of the correlation between the values of the absorbed dose rate in air found and the presence of radon gas in houses is also made. Finally, the values of the terrestrial gamma ray dose rate theoretically derived from the radioactivity contents in the soil, experimentally measured, are compared with the corresponding results obtained from the measurements in situ.

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