NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY MEASUREMENTS IN SOIL AND DATES SAMPLES FROM GROVES OF THE SHATT AL-ARAB IN BASRAH GOVERNORATE

Abstract

Natural radioactivity of (226Ra, 238U, 232Th, 40K), in Soil and Dates samples calculated from shatt Al-arab in Basra govermente were measured using gamma ray spectroscopy with NaI (Tl).The results showed that the specific activity of (226Ra, 238U, 232Th, 40K (Bq/kg)) in Soil ranges from (1.02, 0.27, 0.45, 219.19) Bq/kg to (11.21, 2.73, 2.77, 389.51) Bq/kg and Dates ranged from (0.58, 0.21, 0.36, 140.20) Bq/kg to (6.57, 1.74, 2.58, 273.66) Bq/kg respectively. The radium equivalent in Soil samples ranged from (11.84) to (40.4) Bq/kg and in Date samples ranged from (13.41) to (25.37) Bq/kg. The annual effective dose equivalent AEDEin in Soils samples ranged from (0.01) - (0.09) µSv/y and for Date samples ranged from (0.03) to (0.07) µSv/y. The results of the internal and external hazard index in Soil and Dates samples were all lower than the value of the global limit.