Measurement of Activity Concentration Levels of Radionuclides and Assessment of Radiation Hazards for Well Water Samples Collected from Baghdad Governorate, Al-Sadr City, Iraq

Abstract

In this study, Natural radioactivity levels of water from samples of 10 wells and at different depths 7, 3, and 12 meters were measured with a gamma-ray spectroscopy device using High-Purity Germanium HPGedetector. The samples were collected from different areas of Sadr City, east of Baghdad Governorate. Al-Sadr city is considered as one of the important areas in the capital, Baghdad, due to its population density, which constitutes about 45% of the province’s population. It is very important to assess the radiation risks in these samples because the population still depends on this water in their daily life. The concentration of naturally occurring radionuclides was determined U-238, Th-232, K-40 as all sample’s concentration is higher than the permissible limits according to UNSCEAR 2000. Measurements included the values of natural radioactivity were calculated as the Radium Equivalent Activity Raeq 0.22, External Hazard Index Hex 0.000595, Internal Hazard Index H_in 0.00119, Representative Level were collected The index Iγ 0.001467 and the alpha index I_α 0.0011, the exposure rate Raexp μR/h 0.418, and also calculated the air absorbed dose Dγin nGy/h 0.10164, Dγout nGy/h 0.2024, Dγtotal nGy/h 0.30404, AGED 0.6798, AEDEin 0.000124, AEDE_out 0.000993 and AEDEtotal 0.001117, lifetime cancer risk ELCRout 0.000436, ELCRin 0.003475 and ELCRtotal 0.003911.

Keywords

• ground water radioactivity
• radiological hazard indices
• cancer risk
• al-sadr city