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Abstract

This study is an attempt to quantify the indoor and outdoor gamma radiation level, the associated effective dose rate and Lifetime Cancer Risk in Gahkuch, the capital city of district Ghizer in the eastern Hindukush. All measurements have been carried out by FAG radiation dose rate meter in representative houses made of different construction materials. These measurements were performed at standard height of 1 meter above the ground level. The mean absorbed dose rate was 229.5 nGy/h for indoor and 220.6 nGy/h for outdoor environments, which is greater than global level. Annual Effective Dose for indoor were determined as 1.0 mSv/y while for outdoor its value was 0.4 mSv/y, which differs to the average worldwide value of 0.48 mSv/y. Average Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk was found to be 3.4×10-3 for indoor while it was 1.4×10-3 for outdoor. Both of these values are higher than the World average value 0.29×10-3. The current study shows that Gahkuch, Ghizer is placed in those regions where a remarkably high dose rate exists.