The aim of this study was to investigate the level of soil radioactivity around metallurgical industry in Galati, Danube river region, SE Romania and to assess the health risk of gamma-emitting radionuclides. Gamma-ray spectrometry proved to be a powerful non-destructive analytical tool for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the gamma emitters. The low-background high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry (LB-HRGS) technique was applied in conjunction at GamaSpec laboratory of “Horia Hulubei” National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH) in Magurele-Bucharest, Romania, and Experimental nuclear physiscs and dosimetry Laboratory, INPOLDE research center at Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, Romania, in order to determine the natural and artificial radioactivity of several soil samples collected from the surface layer (0–5 cm) in the nearby of the iron and steel industry at Galati. The gamma spectrometric chains were equipped with an Ortec HPGe detector (2.0 keV resolution at 1332 keV of 60Co, and 30% detection efficiency relative to 3”x 3” NaI (Tl) standard), coupled to a PC based multichannel analyzer. In order to achieve a low-level background counting of environmental samples, a lead shield of 10 cm thickness, coated with foils of 1 mm Sn and 1.5 mm Cu thickness, were used to reduce the ambient background radiation in the energy spectrum ranging from 0 to 2000 keV. The dried and homogenized soil samples were measured in Sarpagan beakers placed on the detector end cap, for counting times > 5 h, after 3 weeks of keeping sealed in the measuring box, in order to establish the radioactive equilibrium between 226Ra and its gaseous radioactive descendant 222Rn (radon). The analyzed natural radionuclides were the following: 226Ra (from 214Pb and 214Bi activities, descendents of 222Rn from 238U-226Ra series), 238U (from 234Th activity), 232Th (from 228Ac, 212Pb and 208Tl activity), 235U, 210Pb (238U-226Ra series) and 40K. The highest natural radioactivity level presented the soil samples collected in the vicinity of the slag dump. The analyzed artificial radionuclides were 60Co, 137Cs and 241Am, but their concentrations were not correlated with the natural radioactivity levels. Results obtained by epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA) at the reactor IBR-2 of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute of Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, for total uranium and thorium activity concentration are in good agreement with those calculated on the basis of LB-HRGS results. The concentrations of U and Th were calculated taking into account that 1 g natural U yields 12352.5 Bq 238U and 568.8 Bq 235U, 1 g natural Th yields 4057.2 Bq 232Th. Based on the activity values, the hazard risk was calculated using the total outdoor absorbed dose rates at 1 m above the ground surface due to γ-rays emission in air from 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K terrestrial radionuclides.