Title: Assessment of natural radionuclides and radiological health hazards of the soil of the general company for Sulphur Al-Mishraq in Ninevah Governorate, Iraq

Authors: Abdulwahab Ibrahim Ghazal; Shihab Ahmed Jasim; Nidhal Ali Mohammed Ali Al-Muhee; Taha Yaseen Wais; Laith Ahmed Najam; Berivan F. Namq; Howaida Mansour

Addresses: Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, College of Medicine, Ninevah University, Mosul, Iraq ' Department of Computer and Informatics Engineering, Ninevah University, Mosul, Iraq ' Department of Medical Physics, College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq ' Chemical, Biological and Radiological Safety and Security Division, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq; Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq ' Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq ' Department of Basic Science, College of Dentistry, Kirkuk University, Kirkuk, Iraq ' Department of Physics, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract: The current research assessed the radiological hazards associated with radionuclide activity in soil samples collected from the General Company for Sulphur Al-Mishraq in Nineveh Governorate, Iraq. A gamma-ray spectrometer (HPGe) was used. The average activities of ⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, and ²²⁶Ra in the soil samples were 307.62 Bq kg⁻¹, 18.66 Bq kg⁻¹ and 26.19 Bq kg⁻¹, respectively. The radium equivalent activity, absorbed gamma dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, annual gonadal dose equivalent, excess lifetime cancer risk, external and internal hazard indices and gamma radiation hazard index ranged from 48.20 to 105.49 Bq kg⁻¹, 22.91 to 49.76 nGy h⁻¹, 28.09 to 61.02 μSv y⁻¹, 162.33 to 350.97 μSv y⁻¹, 98.33 to 213.58 × 10⁻⁴, 0.13 to 0.28, 0.17 to 0.38 and 0.36 to 0.78, respectively. These values are below the global averages report. Statistical analysis was used to examine and understand the distribution of natural radionuclides and radiation hazard characteristics in the study area. Although the soil in the study area poses no immediate radiological risk to humans, regular monitoring is recommended.

Keywords: soil; radionuclides; health risk variables; gamma ray spectrometric.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2024.142753

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2024 Vol.17 No.2/3, pp.197 - 216

Received: 16 Apr 2024
Accepted: 02 Sep 2024
Published online: 20 Nov 2024 *

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