Radioactivity assessment in Euphrates river sediment samples

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate builds up a rule map on various radiological factors in and around the Euphrates River in Iraq. Radon levels, radium content and surface and mass radon exhalation rates for 20 sediment tests gathered from different districts along the Euphrates River, Iraq, (about 500km long) using the can technique, with the CR-39 plastic detector. Radon fixation esteems were viewed as going from 835.0 to 2797.7 Bq.m-3 with a normal worth of 1703.5 Bq.m-3. The normal worth of radium content was viewed as 12.5 Bg.kg-1 while the most minimal and most elevated determined upsides of radium content (CRa) were 6.1 and 20.5 Bq.kg-1, respectively. The radon exhalation rates (surface ES and mass Em) for the study sediment samples were found to vary from (0.41 to 1.37) Bq.m-2.h-1 and from (0.09 to 0.31) Bq.kg-1.h-1with average values of 0.83 Bq.m-2.h-1 and 0.19 Bq.kg-1.h-1, respectively. The values of CRa for all sediment samples were lower than the recommended value of 30 Bq.kg-1 given by UNSCEAR. Hence, the results show that the study area is safe as far as the health hazard effects are concerned, and the values of radium content in all surveyed sites are lower than the allowable limit.