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Measurement of Radioactivity Levels and Assessment of Radiation Hazards for Plants Species Grown at Scrap Yard (B) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site (Iraq)

Received: 02 October 2017    Accepted: 27 December 2017    Published: 15 January 2018
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Abstract

Samples of flowered grasses, herbs and jungles were collected from scrap yard (B) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and analyzed in the laboratory using gamma-ray spectroscopy system. The activity concentrations for radionuclides grown on the studied area were found to be ranged from 1.05 to 5.45 Bq/kg (average 2.86 Bq/kg) for 226Ra, below detection limit (BDL) to 1.4 Bq/kg (average 0.16 Bq/kg) for 232Th, 483.2 to 595.7 Bq/kg (average 528.33 Bq/kg) for 40K, and BDL to 1.15 Bq/kg (average 0.35 Bq/kg) for 235U. No radionuclides of artificial origin (such as 137Cs) were detected in any of the analyzed samples. Gamma absorbed dose rates (D), radium equivalent activities (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), and internal hazard index (Hin) were calculated and found to be considerably lower than their corresponding allowable limits and worldwide average values. Accordingly, it was found that natural radioactivity levels for the investigated plants species grown at the studied area pose no significant radiological threat to human health or the environment.

DOI 10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11
Published in Nuclear Science (Volume 2, Issue 4, December 2017)
Page(s) 94-98
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Radiation Hazards, Plants Species, Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site

References
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[2] Kareem A. A., Hady H. N. and Abojassim A. A., “Measurement of natural radioactivity in selected samples of medical plants in Iraq”, International Journal of Physical Sciences, Vol. 11(14), pp. 178-182, (2016).
[3] Hossen M. A. and Ferdous N., “Determination of Radiological Hazards and the Transfer Factors of Radionuclides from Soil to Vegetables in the Southwestern District of Bangladesh”, Journal of Physical Science, Vol. 26(1), pp. 83–98, (2015).
[4] Beretka J. and Mathew P. J., “Natural radioactivity of Australian building materials”, industrial waste and by-products, Health Phys., 48(1), pp. 87–95, (1985).
[5] Karim M., Chiad S., Habubi N., Mansour H. and Mishjil K., “Study of Specific Activities of Some Biological Samples for Selected Iraqi Governorates”, Fondazione Giorgio Ronchi, ANNO, LXVIII, No. 1, (2013).
[6] Hasan M., Paul D., Haydar M. and Islam S., “Natural Radioactivity and Assessment of Associated Radiation Hazards in Soil and Water Samples Collected from in and around of the Barapukuria 2×125 MW Coal Fired Thermal Power Plant”, Dinajpur, Bangladesh, Journal of Nuclear and Particle Physics, 4(1), pp. 17-24, (2014).
[7] Alsaffar M., “Distribution of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in Rice Plant Components and Physico-Chemical Effects of Soil on their Transportation to Grains”, Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 8, pp. 300-310, (2015).
[8] United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, UNSCEAR Report Vol. 1 to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes, United Nations Sales Publication, United Nations, New York (2000).
[9] Avwiri G. O., Ononugboc P. and Nwokeji I. E., “Radiation hazard indices and excess lifetime cancer risk in soil, sediment and water around Mini-Okoro Creck, Port Harcourt, rivers state, Nigeria”, Comprehensive Journal of Environment and Earth Sciences, 3(1), pp. 38-50, (2014).
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Author Information
  • Department of Physics, College of Education, Al-Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq

  • Radiation and Nuclear Safety Directorate (RNSD), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Baghdad, Iraq

  • Department of Physics, College of Education, Al-Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq

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    Hazim Louis Mansour, Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-Bakhat, Huda Nassar Karkosh. (2018). Measurement of Radioactivity Levels and Assessment of Radiation Hazards for Plants Species Grown at Scrap Yard (B) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site (Iraq). Nuclear Science, 2(4), 94-98. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11

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    ACS Style

    Hazim Louis Mansour; Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-Bakhat; Huda Nassar Karkosh. Measurement of Radioactivity Levels and Assessment of Radiation Hazards for Plants Species Grown at Scrap Yard (B) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site (Iraq). Nucl. Sci. 2018, 2(4), 94-98. doi: 10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11

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    AMA Style

    Hazim Louis Mansour, Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-Bakhat, Huda Nassar Karkosh. Measurement of Radioactivity Levels and Assessment of Radiation Hazards for Plants Species Grown at Scrap Yard (B) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site (Iraq). Nucl Sci. 2018;2(4):94-98. doi: 10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11,
      author = {Hazim Louis Mansour and Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-Bakhat and Huda Nassar Karkosh},
      title = {Measurement of Radioactivity Levels and Assessment of Radiation Hazards for Plants Species Grown at Scrap Yard (B) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site (Iraq)},
      journal = {Nuclear Science},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {94-98},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ns.20170204.11},
      abstract = {Samples of flowered grasses, herbs and jungles were collected from scrap yard (B) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and analyzed in the laboratory using gamma-ray spectroscopy system. The activity concentrations for radionuclides grown on the studied area were found to be ranged from 1.05 to 5.45 Bq/kg (average 2.86 Bq/kg) for 226Ra, below detection limit (BDL) to 1.4 Bq/kg (average 0.16 Bq/kg) for 232Th, 483.2 to 595.7 Bq/kg (average 528.33 Bq/kg) for 40K, and BDL to 1.15 Bq/kg (average 0.35 Bq/kg) for 235U. No radionuclides of artificial origin (such as 137Cs) were detected in any of the analyzed samples. Gamma absorbed dose rates (D), radium equivalent activities (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), and internal hazard index (Hin) were calculated and found to be considerably lower than their corresponding allowable limits and worldwide average values. Accordingly, it was found that natural radioactivity levels for the investigated plants species grown at the studied area pose no significant radiological threat to human health or the environment.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Measurement of Radioactivity Levels and Assessment of Radiation Hazards for Plants Species Grown at Scrap Yard (B) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site (Iraq)
    AU  - Hazim Louis Mansour
    AU  - Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-Bakhat
    AU  - Huda Nassar Karkosh
    Y1  - 2018/01/15
    PY  - 2018
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11
    T2  - Nuclear Science
    JF  - Nuclear Science
    JO  - Nuclear Science
    SP  - 94
    EP  - 98
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2640-4346
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ns.20170204.11
    AB  - Samples of flowered grasses, herbs and jungles were collected from scrap yard (B) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and analyzed in the laboratory using gamma-ray spectroscopy system. The activity concentrations for radionuclides grown on the studied area were found to be ranged from 1.05 to 5.45 Bq/kg (average 2.86 Bq/kg) for 226Ra, below detection limit (BDL) to 1.4 Bq/kg (average 0.16 Bq/kg) for 232Th, 483.2 to 595.7 Bq/kg (average 528.33 Bq/kg) for 40K, and BDL to 1.15 Bq/kg (average 0.35 Bq/kg) for 235U. No radionuclides of artificial origin (such as 137Cs) were detected in any of the analyzed samples. Gamma absorbed dose rates (D), radium equivalent activities (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), and internal hazard index (Hin) were calculated and found to be considerably lower than their corresponding allowable limits and worldwide average values. Accordingly, it was found that natural radioactivity levels for the investigated plants species grown at the studied area pose no significant radiological threat to human health or the environment.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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