Radon level measurements in soil and sediments at oil field area and its impact on the environment

Abstract EN

Radon concentration, radium content, uranium concentration and rates of radon exhalation as a function of mass and area in 10 soil and 5 water sediment samples collected from one of the oil fields in Basrah governorate southern Iraq using CR-39 SSNTD were measured.

Obtained results of radon concentrations range from 434.67 Bq.m-3 to 1947.99 Bq.m-3 with mean value of 985.26 Bq.m-3 and from 61.18 Bq.m-3 to of 2237.77 Bq.m-3 with mean value of 1215.16 Bq.m-3 in sediment and soil samples, respectively.

The values of radium content for sediment and soil samples extended from 1.96 Bq.kg-1 to 9.75 Bq.kg-1, with an average value of 4.45 Bq.kg-1 and from 0.28 Bqkg-1 to 10.11 Bq.kg-1 with mean value of 5.49 Bqkg-1, respectively.

Uranium concentration in ppm was calculated and its values were found to range from 0.36 to 13.07 ppm, which are comparable with different places around the world.

The mass and surface radon exhalation rates vary from 0.079 Bqkg-1h-1 to 2.88 Bqkg-1h-1 with a mean value of 1.41 Bqkg-1h-1, and from 1.37 Bqm-2h-1 to 49.98 Bqm-2h-1 with a mean value of 24.47 Bqm-2h-1, respectively.

Radium content is observed to be positively correlated with uranium concentration and with rates of radon exhalation in the study area, respectively