Gamma radiation dose to different organs of a standard human phantom due to exposure from a road paved with oil sludge containing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials

Oil extraction and processing is a major industry that is present in almost all countries. Large amount of crude oil sludge is left over in oil wells sites. These contain naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). This research investigated the gamma radiation dose to a number of organs of a standard human phantom presumably standing on a road paved with oil sludge. The sludge was assumed to have similar NORM contents to sludge from specific oil well. Monte Carlo neutral particles (MCNP) code was used to tally gamma radiation dose to the phantom organs from three circular areas of road of 10, 50, and 100 m radii, paved with 6 cm layer of oil sludge. Effective gamma radiation dose to a number of organs was calculated and compared with the safe limits to workers or public, of 50 mSv/year. All gamma doses to the studied organs were far below the reference dose limits. This suggests that using oil well sludge in paving roads is a safe sustainable environmental solution.