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265216

Estimation of Natural Radioactivity in Soil of Primary Schools at Old City in Najaf

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Last updated: 22 Jan 2023

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Abstract

The specific activity of Uranium-238, Thorium-232, Potassium-40, and Uranium-235 in soil samples of selected primary schools in the old city of Al-Najaf province, Iraq, was investigated for radiological hazards to determine children's and staff's safety in these schools. Fifteen (15) samples were collected from the soil of schools under study, prepared, and transported to the radiation detection and measurement laboratory for analysis with the use of gamma-ray spectroscopy detector NaI(Tl) with a "3x3" crystal. The average specific activities of Uranium-238, Thorium-232, Potassium-40 and Uranium-235 were (17.18 ±1.63, 24.24±1.96, 318.23 ±21.23 and 0.79±0.07) Bq/kg respectively. The concentrations levels for Uranium-238, Thorium-232, and Potassium-40 have been lower than the internationally recommended standard of (33, 45, and 420) Bq/kg. The average values of radium equivalent activity, external hazard index, internal hazard index, gamma index, and alpha index were (76.35±4.97, 0.206 ±0.01, 0.252 ±0.01, 0.569 ±0.03, 0.086 ±0.008) respectively. Furthermore, the average values of absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent outdoor, annual effective dose equivalent indoor, and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were (35.85 ±2.31) nGy/h, (0.043 ±0.002) mSv/y, (0.175 ±0.011) mSv/y, and (0.153 ±0.009) respectively. It is observed that all results of radiological hazard parameters due to a specific activity for Uranium-238, Thorium-232, Potassium-40, and Uranium-235 were within the world of safety limits. Therefore, the children and staff whose schools were assessed are deemed not exposed to any radioactive risks.

DOI

10.21608/ajnsa.2022.142080.1594

Keywords

Radioactivity in soil, NaI(Tl) spectroscopy, specific activity and Al-Najaf province

Authors

First Name

Rukia

Last Name

Dosh

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Faculty of science, university of kufa

Email

ruqayaj.salim@uokufa.edu.iq

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Ali

Last Name

Hasan

MiddleName

k.

Affiliation

2University of Kufa, Faculty of Education for Girls, Department of Physics, Al-Najaf, Iraq

Email

alikh.alsinayyid@uokufa.edu.iq

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Ali

Last Name

Abojassim

MiddleName

Abid

Affiliation

Department of Physics, College of Science, Kufa Univ., Kufa, Iraq

Email

ali.alhameedawi@uokufa.edu.iq

City

Kufa

Orcid

-

Volume

56

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

38356

Issue Date

2023-01-01

Receive Date

2022-05-31

Publish Date

2023-01-01

Page Start

117

Page End

125

Print ISSN

1110-0451

Online ISSN

2090-4258

Link

https://ajnsa.journals.ekb.eg/article_265216.html

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https://ajnsa.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=265216

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12

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Original Article

Type Code

455

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Arab Journal of Nuclear Sciences and Applications

Publication Link

https://ajnsa.journals.ekb.eg/

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Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023