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Measurement of Radon Activity in Soil Gas and the Geogenic Radon Potential Mapping Using RAD7 at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and the Surrounding Areas

Received: 25 April 2017     Accepted: 9 May 2017     Published: 19 May 2017
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Abstract

In this study Soil gas radon 222Rn activity was measured in different locations at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and the surrounding areas using RAD7 (radon detector). Radon activity in the soil gas varied from (866±150 to 16004±521) Bq/m3 near Alaibtihal School and Ishtar \ Al-Ttakhi School respectively. These concentrations values are well below the allowed levels that range from (0.4 to 40) KBq/m3. The annual effective doses related to the inhalation of radon gas and its progeny which were calculated from the Concentration of emanation in air near ground ranged from (0.0082305 to 0.152102) mSv/y. these results are less than the recommended global average dose from the inhalation of radon from all sources, which is 1 mSv/y. The Health risks originating from indoor radon concentration can be attributed to natural factors and is characterized by geogenic radon potential (GRP), The highest values were found in Ishtar \ Al-Ttakhi school which is (16.004) and The lowest values were found Near Alaibtihal school which is (0.288666667), the lowest value according to Neznal was classified as low (GRP < 10) and the highest value was classified as medium (10 < GRP < 35), according to Barnet and Pacherová low GRP causes <230 Bq m-3 while medium GRP causes 230-460 Bq m-3 indoor radon concentration. From these different values of GRP a geogenic radon risk map was created, which assists human health risk assessment and risk reduction since it indicates the potential of the source of indoor radon. The results from this study shows that the region has background radioactivity levels within the natural limits.

Published in Radiation Science and Technology (Volume 3, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13
Page(s) 29-34
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), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Radon Gas, Al Tuwaitha Nuclear Site, RAD7

References
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[2] UNSCEAR, “Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation”, Report to the general Assembly, UN, New York, 1993.
[3] Keith S, Doyle JR, Harper C, et al. Toxicological Profile for Radon. Atlanta (GA): Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (US); 2012 May.
[4] IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk to Humans. Lyon (FR): International Agency for Research on Cancer; Ionizing Radiation, Part2: Some Internally Deposited Radionuclides. IARC Monographs the Evaluation of Carcinogeni Risks to Humans, No. 78. 2001.
[5] National Research Council (US) Committee on Health Risks of Exposure to Radon (BEIR VI). Health Effects of Exposure to Radon: BEIR VI. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1999.
[6] Dr. khalid H. Mahdi, Dr. yousif M. Z. Al-Bakhat, Hadeel G. Ishnayyin. Advances in physics theories and applications journal, vol.35, 2014.k.
[7] Yousif M. zayir, Nada. S. Ahmedzeki, Takrid M. Nafae, Wssam Zaidan, O. El Samad and Rola Bou khozam. Iraq journal of chemical and petroleum Engineering. Vol. 17 No.2 (June 2016) 25-35.
[8] Jeff J. Danneels, Roger Coates, John R. Cochran, Dr. Ronald K. Chesser, Dr. Carleton J. Phillips. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management.September 2-6, 2007, Oud Sint-Jan Hospital Conference Center, Bruges, Belgium.
[9] Durridge Company Inc., Reference Manual version 6.0.1, RAD-7™ Electronic Radon Detector, (2010).
[10] SALONEN, L. 238U series radionuclides as a source of increased radioactivity in groundwater originating from Finnish bedrock. In: Proceedings of Future Groundwater Resources at Risk, Helsinki, June 1994, pp. 71–84. Wallingford, Great Britain Institute of Hydrology, 1994 (International Association of Hydrological Sciences Publication No. 222).
[11] HUBBARD, L. ET AL. Radon dynamics in Swedish dwellings: a status report. In: Proceedings of the 1991 International Symposium on Radon and Radon Reduction Technology, Philadelphia, Vol. 3, paper V–4. Research Triangle Park, NC, US Environmental Protection Agency, 1991.
[12] Moed, B. a., naZaroff, w. w., sextro, r. g., radon and its decay products in indoor air (naZaroff, w.w., nero Jr., a. V., eds), John wiley and sons, new York (1988) 57–112.
[13] Christain E. Junge, “Air Chemistry and Radioactivity”, International Geophysics Series, Vol.4, 1963, p.209-220.
[14] V Gruber, P Bossew, M. De Cort1 and T. Tollefsen, J. Radiol. Prot. 33 (2013) 51–60.
[15] Neznal, M., Neznal, M., Matolin, M., Barnet, I., Miksova, J. Czech Geol. Survey Special Papers, (2004) 16, 47 p.
[16] J. C. Baubron, A. Rigo and J. P. Toutain, The Jaunt Pass example (Pyrenees, France). Earth. Planet. Sci. Lett., 196(69-81), (2002).
[17] G. Buttafuoco, A. Tallarico& G. Falcone, Envir. Assess., 131 (2007) 135- 151.
[18] Barnet, I., Pacherová, P. In: Barnet, I., Neznal, M., Pacherová, P. (Eds.) Proc., 10th international workshop on the geological aspects of radon risk mapping. Czech geological survey, Radon v.o.s., Prague ISBN 978-80- 7075-754-3; (2010) 35–41.
[19] UNSCEAR. "Sources, effects and risks of ionizing radiation". United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Report to the General Assembly, United Nations, 2000, New York.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-bakhat, Nidhala Hassan Kazem Al-ANI, Batool Fayidh Mohammed, Nabeel Hashem Ameen, Zainab Abdul-Zahra Jabr, et al. (2017). Measurement of Radon Activity in Soil Gas and the Geogenic Radon Potential Mapping Using RAD7 at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and the Surrounding Areas. Radiation Science and Technology, 3(3), 29-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13

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    ACS Style

    Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-bakhat; Nidhala Hassan Kazem Al-ANI; Batool Fayidh Mohammed; Nabeel Hashem Ameen; Zainab Abdul-Zahra Jabr, et al. Measurement of Radon Activity in Soil Gas and the Geogenic Radon Potential Mapping Using RAD7 at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and the Surrounding Areas. Radiat. Sci. Technol. 2017, 3(3), 29-34. doi: 10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13

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    AMA Style

    Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-bakhat, Nidhala Hassan Kazem Al-ANI, Batool Fayidh Mohammed, Nabeel Hashem Ameen, Zainab Abdul-Zahra Jabr, et al. Measurement of Radon Activity in Soil Gas and the Geogenic Radon Potential Mapping Using RAD7 at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and the Surrounding Areas. Radiat Sci Technol. 2017;3(3):29-34. doi: 10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13,
      author = {Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-bakhat and Nidhala Hassan Kazem Al-ANI and Batool Fayidh Mohammed and Nabeel Hashem Ameen and Zainab Abdul-Zahra Jabr and Saliha Husayn Hammid},
      title = {Measurement of Radon Activity in Soil Gas and the Geogenic Radon Potential Mapping Using RAD7 at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and the Surrounding Areas},
      journal = {Radiation Science and Technology},
      volume = {3},
      number = {3},
      pages = {29-34},
      doi = {10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.rst.20170303.13},
      abstract = {In this study Soil gas radon 222Rn activity was measured in different locations at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and the surrounding areas using RAD7 (radon detector). Radon activity in the soil gas varied from (866±150 to 16004±521) Bq/m3 near Alaibtihal School and Ishtar \ Al-Ttakhi School respectively. These concentrations values are well below the allowed levels that range from (0.4 to 40) KBq/m3. The annual effective doses related to the inhalation of radon gas and its progeny which were calculated from the Concentration of emanation in air near ground ranged from (0.0082305 to 0.152102) mSv/y. these results are less than the recommended global average dose from the inhalation of radon from all sources, which is 1 mSv/y. The Health risks originating from indoor radon concentration can be attributed to natural factors and is characterized by geogenic radon potential (GRP), The highest values were found in Ishtar \ Al-Ttakhi school which is (16.004) and The lowest values were found Near Alaibtihal school which is (0.288666667), the lowest value according to Neznal was classified as low (GRP < 10) and the highest value was classified as medium (10 < GRP < 35), according to Barnet and Pacherová low GRP causes <230 Bq m-3 while medium GRP causes 230-460 Bq m-3 indoor radon concentration. From these different values of GRP a geogenic radon risk map was created, which assists human health risk assessment and risk reduction since it indicates the potential of the source of indoor radon. The results from this study shows that the region has background radioactivity levels within the natural limits.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Measurement of Radon Activity in Soil Gas and the Geogenic Radon Potential Mapping Using RAD7 at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and the Surrounding Areas
    AU  - Yousif Muhsin Zayir Al-bakhat
    AU  - Nidhala Hassan Kazem Al-ANI
    AU  - Batool Fayidh Mohammed
    AU  - Nabeel Hashem Ameen
    AU  - Zainab Abdul-Zahra Jabr
    AU  - Saliha Husayn Hammid
    Y1  - 2017/05/19
    PY  - 2017
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13
    T2  - Radiation Science and Technology
    JF  - Radiation Science and Technology
    JO  - Radiation Science and Technology
    SP  - 29
    EP  - 34
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-5943
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.rst.20170303.13
    AB  - In this study Soil gas radon 222Rn activity was measured in different locations at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site and the surrounding areas using RAD7 (radon detector). Radon activity in the soil gas varied from (866±150 to 16004±521) Bq/m3 near Alaibtihal School and Ishtar \ Al-Ttakhi School respectively. These concentrations values are well below the allowed levels that range from (0.4 to 40) KBq/m3. The annual effective doses related to the inhalation of radon gas and its progeny which were calculated from the Concentration of emanation in air near ground ranged from (0.0082305 to 0.152102) mSv/y. these results are less than the recommended global average dose from the inhalation of radon from all sources, which is 1 mSv/y. The Health risks originating from indoor radon concentration can be attributed to natural factors and is characterized by geogenic radon potential (GRP), The highest values were found in Ishtar \ Al-Ttakhi school which is (16.004) and The lowest values were found Near Alaibtihal school which is (0.288666667), the lowest value according to Neznal was classified as low (GRP < 10) and the highest value was classified as medium (10 < GRP < 35), according to Barnet and Pacherová low GRP causes <230 Bq m-3 while medium GRP causes 230-460 Bq m-3 indoor radon concentration. From these different values of GRP a geogenic radon risk map was created, which assists human health risk assessment and risk reduction since it indicates the potential of the source of indoor radon. The results from this study shows that the region has background radioactivity levels within the natural limits.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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

  • Department of Physics, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

  • Department of Physics, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

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

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

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

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