  Primordial radionuclides such as uranium (U-238), thorium (Th-232), and
potassium (K-40) and their progenies contained in coal can be a source of
concern to the environment in a thermal coal-powered plant. In this study, the
average activity concentrations of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40 in the soil around
the Van Eck coal-fired power plant in Namibia were determined by the means of
the gamma-ray spectrometry technique. The obtained average activity
concentrations in the studied soil samples range from 7.74 to 20.04, 8.59 to
31.74, and 108.8 to 484.9 Bq/kg with an average of 13.33, 17.73, and 269.6
Bq/kg for Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40, respectively, which were slightly higher
than the Windhoek background values. The estimated radiological health hazards
were within the prescribed international reference values. The dose rates to
which the residents within the 15 km radius are subjected due to combustion
activities at the power plant were within the public exposure limits.
