Title: Radiological hazard from natural radioactivity in fertiliser samples of Al-Abbasiyah City, Al-Najaf Governorate

Authors: Mohammed Baqer Salam; Hayder Hamza Hussein; Ali Abid Abojassim

Addresses: Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kufa, Al-Najaf-Iraq, Kufa, Iraq ' Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kufa, Al-Najaf-Iraq, Kufa, Iraq ' Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kufa, Al-Najaf-Iraq, Kufa, Iraq

Abstract: In the present work, natural radionuclides such as uranium-238 (²³⁸U), thorium-232 (²³²Th) and potassium-40 (⁴⁰K) were determined for fertiliser samples commonly used in agricultural areas of Al-Abbasiyah City, Al-Najaf Governorate. Samples of fertiliser were divided into two types DAP and UREA which are made in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Twelve (12) radiological hazard indexes due to inhalation by farmers were also estimated. The average value of the activity with standard error for ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in DAP samples were 16.9±6.3 Bq/kg, 7.8±1.1 Bq/kg and 340.9±18.1 Bq/kg, respectively, while in UREA samples were 20.1±6.5 Bq/kg, 10.9±1.7 Bq/kg and 571.6±48.6 Bq/kg, respectively. Also, it is found that the average values with the standard division of some radiological hazard such as radium equivalent, external hazard and absorbed dose for DAP samples were 54.43±7.47 Bq/kg, 0.15±0.02 and 26.79±3.51 nGy/h, respectively, while for UREA samples were 79.83±20.71 Bq/kg, 0.22±0.06 and 39.76±9.89 nGy/h, respectively. Moreover, it was found that all results for UREA samples were larger than for DAP samples. The results of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in fertiliser samples were within the accepted safe limit by UNSCEAR 2008, except for the specific activity of ⁴⁰K in UREA was high. While, twelve (12) radiological hazard indexes due to inhalation of two types DAP and UREA were lower than the safe limit by OECD, ICRP and UNSCEAR 2000. Therefore, it can be concluded that excessive use of fertilisers type UREA causes an increase in potassium concentrations in the agricultural area under study.

Keywords: radiological hazard; fertiliser; Al-Abbasiyah City; NaI(Tl) and Iraq.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2024.147522

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2024 Vol.17 No.4, pp.294 - 308

Received: 23 Nov 2024
Accepted: 17 May 2025
Published online: 20 Jul 2025 *

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