Measurement of radium content and radon exhalation rates in soil samples of Al- Hindiyah City

Abstract

In this work, Effective radium content and radon exhalation rates in soil samples have been measured by using long-term technique for alpha particles emission with solid state nuclear track detectors type CR-39.The soil samples were collected from twenty different places of Al-Hindiyah city of Karbala government, Iraq. The values of effective radium content were found to vary from (0.383 to 2.696) Bq/kg with a mean value of 1.420 Bq/kg and a standard deviation of 0.668. The values of mass exhalation rates of radon vary from (0.308 ×〖10〗^(-7) to 2.168×〖10〗^(-7) ) Bq/kg.day with a mean value 1.141×〖10〗^(-7) Bq/kg.day and standard deviation 0.537×〖10〗^(-7), while the surface exhalation rates of radon vary from (0.961×〖10〗^(-6) to 6.760×〖10〗^(-6)) Bq /m^2.day with a mean value of 3.561×〖10〗^(-6) Bq/m^2.day and standard deviation 1.675×〖10〗^(-6). All the values of radium content in soil samples of study area were found to be quite lower than the permissible value of 370 Bq/kg recommended by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.