Title: Radiogenic heat production from natural radionuclides in sediments of the Tigris river in Mosul City, Iraq

Authors: Laith Ahmed Najam; Sheamaa T. Al-Dbag; Taha Yaseen Wais; Howaida Mansour

Addresses: Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq ' Department of Biophysics, College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq ' Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq ' Department of Physics, College of Science and Arts, Qassim University, Al-Badaya, Qassim, Saudi Arabia; Physics Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract: In this paper, the concentration of the activity of natural radionuclides is represented by ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K. This concentration was measured by gamma spectroscopy, which was used to determine and calculate radioactive heat production for all radionuclides and their distribution pattern in the sediment samples from the Tigris River in Iraq. The results showed that the activity concentration of these radionuclides was within the allowed limits by the UNSCEAR. Field observations show that the sediments occurred due to the weathering of pre-existing sedimentary rocks that make up the area's geology. The estimated average radiogenic heat production rate was 0.3634 µW/m³. It ranged from 0.2430 to 0.6453 µW/m³, and within the internationally permissible limits, the radiogenic heat production rate in Tigris River sediments was low. It is recommended to conduct a comprehensive radiometric survey to cover all the areas through which the Tigris River passes in Iraq. It will help characterise the radiogenic heat produced for each geological area.

Keywords: heat production; Tigris river; sediments; radionuclides; gamma-spectrometry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2022.126067

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2022 Vol.15 No.3/4, pp.302 - 316

Received: 20 Apr 2022
Received in revised form: 12 May 2022
Accepted: 21 May 2022
Published online: 10 Oct 2022 *

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