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The exposure rates due to external gamma radiation were measured in 11 Iraqi governerates. Measurements were performed with an Environmental Monitoring System (RSS-111) in open air 1 m above the ground. The average absorbed dose rate in each governerate was as follows (number x 10(-2) microGy h-1): Babylon (6.0), Kerbala (5.3), Al-Najaf (5.4), Al-Kadysia (6.5), Wasit (6.5), Diala (6.5), Al-Anbar (6.5), Al-Muthana (6.6), Maisan (6.8), Thee-Kar (6.6), and Al-Basrah (6.5). The collective doses to the population living in these governerates were 499, 187, 239, 269, 262, 458, 384, 153, 250, 450, and 419 person-Sv, respectively.

Al-Mahzam is a potential site for a power plant. It is situated in Salah Al-Deen governerate. The radiological safety of operating one unit of a VVER-440 Soviet built nuclear power plant on the site was assessed. Atmospheric, as well as aquatic, releases of radionuclides during normal operation of the power plant were used to estimate the annual effective dose equivalent to the highest exposed individual living around the site and down river from it.The annual effective dose equivalents to the highest exposed individual resulting from atmospheric and aquatic pathways is 1.8 X 10 -6 Sv y -1 . The contribution of the former is 1.0 X 10 -6 Sv y -1 while the contribution of the latter is 8.2 X 10 -7 Sv y -1 . The effective dose equivalent resulting from the exposure to natural radiation at Al-Mahzam was 4.6 X 10 -4 Sv y -1 . Thus the operation of a WER-440 nuclear power plant would only cause an increase of -0.4% of the annual effective dose equivalent due to external exposure to natural gamma background radiation.

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