Assessment of Radioactive Pollution in Soil Samples from South of Basra Province

Abstract

Soil samples were gathered from a variety of locations in the south of Basra province for radioactive pollution investigations, which involved a total of (7) locations in the region.

The radioactive pollution levels of Gamma ray, Alpha (\(\alpha\)), and Beta (\(\beta\)) nuclear particles in these samples were measured using the Gamma Counter Multichannel Analyzer and the LB 1200 nuclear particles detector devices. Microscopical studies of these samples were performed using an OLYMPUS Optical Microscope.

The obtained samples were found to be contaminated with Uranium at various degrees, according to the results. It was found that the highest level of radioactive pollution from the south of Basra was 18 × 10^-3   mRm/h. The isotopes of Uranium are decayed to Th²³⁴, Ra²²⁶ and Bi²¹⁴ with values of 8.7, 5.1 and 3.2 Bq/Kg respectively were measured of these samples.

The diameters of the grain samples measured microscopically for the uncontaminated and uranium-contaminated samples are (75 and 550 \(\mu\)m) respectively.