Natural Radioactivity Levels and Associated Health Risks in Rice Field Soils of Aliaga and Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Natural Radioactivity Levels and Associated Health Risks in Rice Field Soils of Aliaga and Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Natural Radioactivity Levels and Associated Health Risks in Rice Field Soils of Aliaga and Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines Arvin Jagonoy, Joseph Michael Racho, Raymond Sucgang, Preciosa Corazon Pabroa, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8782889/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 13 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Soil samples from selected rice farm in the municipalities of Aliaga and Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines were collected to assess the natural radioactivity levels and associated radiological health risks. Soil samples were analyzed using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector to determine the activity concentrations of the primordial radionuclides uranium-238 ( 238 U), thorium-232 ( 232 Th), and potassium-40 ( 40 K). The measured mean activity concentrations were 2.45 ± 0.05, 2.45 ± 0.47, 158.5 ± 9.2 Bq/kg for 238 U, 232 Th, and 40 K, respectively. The corresponding absorbed dose rate in air (ADRA), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were 9.3 nGy/h, 0.0113 mSv/y, and 3.975 x 10 − 5, respectively. All measured values were significantly below the global reference levels reported by UNSCEAR ( 2000 ), indicating minimal radiological health risk to the local population. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed strong positive associations between natural radionuclide concentrations and radiological risk parameters, while hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that 232 Th and 238 U are the primary contributors to external gamma dose, with 40 K showing lesser influence. The results confirm that the rice field soils in the study area are radiologically safe for agricultural activities. These findings provide essential baseline data to support continued environmental monitoring and informed land-use planning. Natural radioactivity 137Cs Soil Nueva Ecija HPGe Uraniu Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 08 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 07 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 05 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 04 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 13 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 13 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 13 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 03 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 07 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 07 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 04 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8782889","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":618126716,"identity":"fac11379-8a2f-4021-9db0-cd512c72804b","order_by":0,"name":"Arvin Jagonoy","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA8klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJCCAwwMbFBmBQODAYlazhCpBQEY24jQwj/7jOHhAgY+eXn33oOPeecdljdnbz7A8KNiG04tEudyDA7PYGAz3HjmXLIx77bDhjt7jiUw9py5jduaM2wJh3kY2Bg3zsgxkwZqYdxwI8eAmbENtxZ5qBZ7iJY5h+0JajE4w3wApCVxvgRIS8PhRIJaDKFakjfwnDE2nHMsPXnDmWMJB/H5Re4MY/NnHoZjtvPbewwfvKmxtt1wvPnggx8VeLwPAoz/jjEYHGBgYOJhaAYLHMCvHgxqGOQbgFp/MNQRoXgUjIJRMApGGgAAIuVYnPQcRRwAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Philippine Nuclear Research Institute","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Arvin","middleName":"","lastName":"Jagonoy","suffix":""},{"id":618126718,"identity":"b76b753b-20c0-4e04-9b67-88c0d2b4cdc8","order_by":1,"name":"Joseph Michael Racho","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Philippine Nuclear Research Institute","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Joseph","middleName":"Michael","lastName":"Racho","suffix":""},{"id":618126719,"identity":"2e7403ca-f41b-4244-ab32-2307cd0eb923","order_by":2,"name":"Raymond Sucgang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Philippine Nuclear Research Institute","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Raymond","middleName":"","lastName":"Sucgang","suffix":""},{"id":618126720,"identity":"11f0899a-9001-425e-9879-13f38e8d6d96","order_by":3,"name":"Preciosa Corazon Pabroa","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Philippine Nuclear Research Institute","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Preciosa","middleName":"Corazon","lastName":"Pabroa","suffix":""},{"id":618126721,"identity":"563fff74-5ab5-4aa9-8081-24f80cec89d1","order_by":4,"name":"April Tagari","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Philippine Nuclear Research Institute","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"April","middleName":"","lastName":"Tagari","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-04 07:08:47","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8782889/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8782889/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":106724340,"identity":"fc4398ab-ab07-46b6-b4ac-f2f1fc23dc96","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-12 18:27:34","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":524373,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"NORM02242026revision.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8782889/v1_covered_1dc90739-ab21-481c-9a33-0f6328a9a8b0.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Natural Radioactivity Levels and Associated Health Risks in Rice Field Soils of Aliaga and Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-monitoring-and-assessment","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"emas","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Monitoring and Assessment](http://link.springer.com/journal/10661)","snPcode":"10661","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10661/3","title":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Natural radioactivity, 137Cs, Soil, Nueva Ecija, HPGe, Uraniu","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8782889/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8782889/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eSoil samples from selected rice farm in the municipalities of Aliaga and Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines were collected to assess the natural radioactivity levels and associated radiological health risks. Soil samples were analyzed using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector to determine the activity concentrations of the primordial radionuclides uranium-238 (\u003csup\u003e238\u003c/sup\u003eU), thorium-232 (\u003csup\u003e232\u003c/sup\u003eTh), and potassium-40 (\u003csup\u003e40\u003c/sup\u003eK). The measured mean activity concentrations were 2.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05, 2.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.47, 158.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.2 Bq/kg for \u003csup\u003e238\u003c/sup\u003eU, \u003csup\u003e232\u003c/sup\u003eTh, and \u003csup\u003e40\u003c/sup\u003eK, respectively. The corresponding absorbed dose rate in air (ADRA), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were 9.3 nGy/h, 0.0113 mSv/y, and 3.975 x 10\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;5, respectively. All measured values were significantly below the global reference levels reported by UNSCEAR (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e), indicating minimal radiological health risk to the local population. Pearson\u0026rsquo;s correlation analysis showed strong positive associations between natural radionuclide concentrations and radiological risk parameters, while hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that \u003csup\u003e232\u003c/sup\u003eTh and \u003csup\u003e238\u003c/sup\u003eU are the primary contributors to external gamma dose, with \u003csup\u003e40\u003c/sup\u003eK showing lesser influence. The results confirm that the rice field soils in the study area are radiologically safe for agricultural activities. These findings provide essential baseline data to support continued environmental monitoring and informed land-use planning.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Natural Radioactivity Levels and Associated Health Risks in Rice Field Soils of Aliaga and Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-09 06:18:24","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8782889/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-05-08T14:42:54+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-07T16:18:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-05T15:41:09+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-04T15:05:15+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"326779237101714944168770563556451842315","date":"2026-04-20T08:37:17+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"253489144743793093267338572094866633984","date":"2026-04-16T06:52:56+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-14T02:54:04+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"61628295711253003722150010507684468926","date":"2026-04-14T01:21:32+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"159963844933963269405157700853092946482","date":"2026-04-13T16:25:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-03T12:14:53+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-03-07T12:30:48+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-07T12:30:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","date":"2026-02-04T06:44:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-monitoring-and-assessment","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"emas","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Monitoring and Assessment](http://link.springer.com/journal/10661)","snPcode":"10661","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10661/3","title":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"2e8b1307-6343-407f-9fe3-c005af1a6765","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 9th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-05-08T14:42:54+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-07T16:18:24+00:00","index":50,"fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-05T15:41:09+00:00","index":49,"fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-04T15:05:15+00:00","index":48,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"in-revision","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-08T16:00:52+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-09 06:18:24","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8782889","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8782889","identity":"rs-8782889","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}