Radioactivity and Radionuclide Distribution in Jabel Bawr Oil Site of Kirkuk-Iraq

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Physics Departement, College of Science, Kirkuk University

2 Department of Physics, College of Science, Kirkuk University, Kirkuk, Iraq.

Abstract

Everything around us is continuously exposed by the radiation of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) such as cosmic rays and terrestrial radioactive elements, but Human and technological activities may contribute to increasing the effect causing what is called the technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORMs) In this paper, the radioactivity in soil samples from Jabal Bawr oil site of Kirkuk-Iraq have been studied using a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The specific activity of 226Ra, 232Th, 40k and 137Cs varied between 24.4-68 Bq kg-1, 11.6-27.2 Bq kg-1, 207.2-591 Bq kg-1 and BDL-2.40 Bq kg-1 respectively. The hazard indices (the radium equivalent activity, the absorbed gamma dose rate, the annual effective dose rate, the external and internal hazard, the Gamma radiation representative level Index, and excess lifetime cancer risk have been calculated.. Our results of some sites were found to be higher than the allowable worldwide values. Statistical analysis has been implemented to explain the obtained results.

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