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Soil radioactivity in urban parks of Piraeus

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Published: Feb 24, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/hnpsanp.8682
Keywords:
137Cs NORM gamma ray - spectroscopy natural radioactivity artificial radioactivity
Eleni Kapsokoli
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7416-3013
Foivos Panagiotis Gelatsoras
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4476-5067
Georgios Siltzovalis
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3874-2929
Ioannis Madesis
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5077-2389
Theo J. Mertzimekis
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9191-7903
Abstract

Assessment of natural and artificial radioactivity in soil is essential for understanding environmental radiation exposure and potential health risks. In the present study, the levels of natural and artificial radioactivity in twenty (20) urban parks in Piraeus and the surrounding areas have been assessed extending a study conducted by Gelatsoras et al. in urban parks in the wider Attica region. The focus has shifted on the industrial area around the largest Greek port, which is also a major touristic and transportation hub. High-resolution 𝛾-ray spectroscopy was carried out in properly prepared samples at the recently upgraded Advanced Laboratory for Environmental Radiation Technology (ALERT) at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The measured specific activities of NORM (40K, U- and Th-series), as well as of 137Cs, the major Chernobyl fallout tracer, are reported. Overall, the results show a trend in agreement with the average background levels in Greece, with a few exceptions suggesting that further work is required.

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