Radioactivity investigation of the anthropogenic 137Cs radionuclide in soil samples from the Marapasta Region in Iraqi Kurdistan

Abstract EN

Gamma ray spectroscopy analyses have been carried out on 32 soil samples from the Marapasta area for activity concentration comparisons and hazard effects due to the 137Cs radionuclide for the first time in this region.

The average activity concentration of the 137Cs in the soil samples was measured using HPGe detector systems.

The anthropogenic radioactivity levels of 137Cs in the samples collected from the bottom-of-hole soil at Marapasta, in the undisturbed areas near the bottom of the mountain chain and for the cultivated agricultural areas were found to be of an average value of 12.07 ± 0.03 Bqkg-1, 7.55 ± 1.68 Bqkg-1 and 1.33 ± 0.6 Bqkg-1 respectively.

In order to evaluate the radiological hazards effects due to 137Cs in the samples, the absorbed dose rate (D), the annual effective dose rate (AEDR), the excess lifetime cancer risk for outdoor and total exposures (ELCR) in the soil samples were also determined.

The results have been compared with the worldwide average range of radioactivity measurements.

The three different ranges obtained in this survey indicate that there are different levels of radioactive hazard related to man-made radionuclides in the area and could serve as a first baseline for 137Cs.