en Radiation Biology Radiation Biology تحقيق بديع Original Research <div style="text-align: justify;">Background: Inspection of the level of radioactivity from radionuclides in soil is important for the assessment of the exposure to natural radiation. Materials and Methods: Ten samples from soil were collected from different sites of Kirkuk-IRAQ and the level of natural radioactivity was measured using gamma-ray spectrometry based on a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. Results: It was found that the specific activity ranged from 27.4 to 57.0 Bq kg^&minus;1 for ²²⁶Ra, from 11.0 to 25.4 Bq kg^&minus;1 for ²³²Th, and from 207.4 to 516.0 Bq kg^&minus;1 for ⁴⁰K. The results have been compared with the average values worldwide. The hazard indices have also been calculated. In general certain average values were found to be lower than the world average values; these included the average value of the radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq), the absorbed gamma dose rate (D), the external and internal hazard H_ex and H_in, the gamma radiation representative level Index (I_&gamma;) and the outdoor and indoor annual effective dose rate (AEDE) Conclusion: In general there are no harmful radiations effects posed to the population who live in the study area; however there are some spots which have values higher than the internationally allowable values.<br> &nbsp;</div> Natural radioactivity, soil contamination, activity concentrations, HPGe detector, Radiation hazard indices. 455 463 http://ijrr.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-744&slc_lang=en&sid=1 A.H. Taqi alitaqi@uokirkuk.edu.iq 7900319475328460012418 7900319475328460012418 Yes Physics Department, College of Science, Kirkuk University, Kirkuk, Iraq A.M. Shaker 7900319475328460012419 7900319475328460012419 No Physics Department, College of Education for Pure Sciences, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq A.A. Battawy 7900319475328460012420 7900319475328460012420 No Physics Department, College of Education for Pure Sciences, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq