Determination of Uranium Contents in Soil Samples in AL-Hamdaniya Region Using Solid State Nuclear Track Detector CR-39

Abstract

Uranium is a common radioactive element in Earth’s crust (soil, rock), so it is important there quantity to be under control. The concentration of uranium in soil varies widely, Depending on the geological location, its concentration in the surface soil vary from 0.1 mg.Kg-1 (ppm) to 20 mg.Kg-1 (ppm) with a world average of 2.8 ppm and the allowed limit that equals 11.7 ppm. The uranium concentration, radon activity, radon concentration, in twenty soil samples collected from AL-Hamdaniya region (East of Mosul city) were measured using the sealed-can technique based on the CR-39 SSNTDs. The estimated values for the uranium activity which equal to radon activity at secular equilibrium were found vary between (581.11-1453.5) mBq with mean value 905.89 mBq, the uranium concentration are between (0.313-0.784) ppm with mean value of 0.488 ppm. All values of the samples under the test are below of allowed limit and world average value.

Keywords

• Uranium Concentration, Radon Activity, Hamdaniya Region, SSNTD’s, CR-39.