Determination of natural radioactivity and radon, thoron concentrations of soil in Hilla city-Iraq

Abstract EN

Radon and thoron activity concentration levels have been determined in the soil of Hilla city, Iraq.

The area of the study included ten districts, they are Hay-Shubbar-Althanya, Hay-Al-Jameaya, Hussein Al-Noor Village, Al-Tohmazya Aloulla, Al-Bakerly Althanya, Wardya Kharij Althanya, Sinjar Aloulla, Hay Al-Jamaan, University of Babylon, and Al-Dollab Village.

In this investigation solid state nuclear detector (RAD7) are used.

The samples are taken from the surface and the depth 30 cm for each location.

Maximum activity of radon activity was (12700 Bq.m-3 ) while the minimum radon activity was (25 Bq.m-3) .

The maximum thoron activity was (9448 Bq.m-3 ).

while the minimum thoron activity (0.00 Bq.m-3) .

Analysis of activity concentration of 40K, 238U, 232Th radionuclides in soil samples for different locations at surface.

The activity concentration of 40K was 433.122±2.98 Bq·kg−1.

The range of measured activity of 238U in the soil of Hilla city 14.181± 0.49 Bq·kg−1.

The range of measured activity concentration of 232Th for the soil was 10.807±0.39 Bq·kg−1.

While the depth 30 cm the an average activity concentration of 40K, 238U, 232Th was 428.783 ± 2.97, 16.984 ± 0.53, 7.710 ± 0.33 respectively and the calculated absorbed dose rate was 31.324 nGy·h–1, outdoor and indoor values are 0.0384, 0.1537 mSv·y–1, respectively.

The external hazard index (Hex) was 0.1701.

Hin was 0.2084 and less than 1 and the calculated Iγ value are 0.4914.