Vol.6 No.5 – 3: Determining radon concentrations naturally emitted from water samples, Sediments, Organisms, and plants of chosen areas from the south of Iraq

By: Master A. Abdul Ali*, Ali Abdul Hussein

Department of Environment, Basra Oil Company, Ministry of Oil, Iraq

Department of Science, Basic education college, University of Misan

Abstract

The study gathers 56 samples of waters, Sediments, bones of some Living being as well as some plants available in local markets (vegetables and fruits) taken from different areas of the south Iraq governorates to determine radon concentration  ²²²Rn emitted from the chosen samples and the generating radioactive radium ²²⁶Ra resulted from the dissolution of the period  Jan – March 2019. It manipulates the active measure method of the electronic speeder through the use of the Rational Application Developer RAD7 and the passive method, the long-term method for radiation of alpha particles, utilizing Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs) technique and Two types of detectors were used; CR-39 and LR-115-typeII. The results show that the greatest concentrations of radon in waters 16234±1014Bq/m³ in Shatt- El-Arab waters in Basra while the least concentration 2153±134Bq/m³in Al-Turbia station in Thiqar, whereas the highest radon concentration 20570±1285Bq/m³ is of a sample taken from the Sediments if Al- Msab_el_aamin the north of Basra. As for the concentration in living beings, the highest is of a sheep bone 4869±304 Bq/m³ from Basra (Northern Rumaila); the least is of a chicken bone 132±8 Bq/m³   taken from local markets in Misan. The planet samples show that the highest radon concentration 128± 8Bq/m³ is fenugreek from Basra markets and the least is of an apple exported in Misan markets. The annual estimated dose affecting water is1.60mSvy^-1 Which is greater than the worldly permitted dose, which is 1mSvy^-1. Generally, it is found that radon concentration of the chosen water samples from the South of Iraq is greater than the permitted ratio, 11Bq/L and its concentration in Sediments also records a noted increase which may cause danger for population health living in these areas.

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