Assessment of natural radionuclides and radiological health hazards of the soil of the general company for Sulphur Al-Mishraq in Ninevah Governorate, Iraq

Abstract

The current research assessed the radiological hazards associated with radionuclide activity in soil samples collected from the General Company for Sulphur Al-Mishraq in Nineveh Governorate, Iraq. A gamma-ray spectrometer (HPGe) was used. The average activities of 40K, 232Th, and 226Ra in the soil samples were 307.62 Bq kg−1, 18.66 Bq kg−1 and 26.19 Bq kg−1, respectively. The radium equivalent activity, absorbed gamma dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, annual gonadal dose equivalent, excess lifetime cancer risk, external and internal hazard indices and gamma radiation hazard index ranged from 48.20 to 105.49 Bq kg−1, 22.91 to 49.76 nGy h−1, 28.09 to 61.02 μSv y−1, 162.33 to 350.97 μSv y−1, 98.33 to 213.58 × 10−4, 0.13 to 0.28, 0.17 to 0.38 and 0.36 to 0.78, respectively. These values are below the global averages report. Statistical analysis was used to examine and understand the distribution of natural radionuclides and radiation hazard characteristics in the study area. Although the soil in the study area poses no immediate radiological risk to humans, regular monitoring is recommended.