The impact of the oil and gas industry on NORMs of groundwater and their annual efective dose in Ma’rib, central Yemen

The gamma-ray spectrum equipped with a high-purity germanium detector was used to measure the naturally occurring radioactive materials of groundwater samples resources from the petroleum-producing communities of Ma’rib Province-Yemen. Thirty-fve samples were collected from diferent sites. The 40K, 232Th, and 226Ra activity concentrations of groundwater samples for oil and non-oil communities were measured. The annual efective doses due to 40K, 232Th, and 226Ra were calculated and did not show a signifcant health impact. These results can contribute to building a database and provide a general background of the detectable TENORMs for studied areas, which will be useful in any radiological emergency. Signifcantly, the Ma’rib region is rich in oil and gas.