Natural Radioactivity Concentrations in Air Samples in Baghdad City

Year 2024, Volume: 37 Issue: 1, 1 - 6, 12.07.2024

Akram Alkhazzar , Hassan Hamza Rand Al-dulaimi

Abstract

The increasing population in the Baghdad governorate, the capital of Iraq is the main reason for increasing air pollution. This amount of population requires transportation means, diesel generators in the cities added to the already installed electrical power plant, oil refineries, and other sources of pollution. This study focuses on analyzing radioactivity in air samples of different locations in Baghdad city using a new method for air sampling. The air conditioner (AC) filters are considered as air sampler filters. The results showed that Dora City - Altuama has the highest levels of NORM concentration (564.8 µBq.m-3) near Al-Dora petroleum refinery/thermal power plant in the south of Baghdad while the lowest was in Karradah City (204.9 µBq.m-3). In contribution to the annual effective dose due to inhalation of normal indoor air inside residences. The study reveals that a human could be exposed to about 104 µSv.yr-1 in the Dora City - Altuama region. The mean annual dose for the thirteen location is about 6.1% of the annual dose limit for the public (1 mSv.yr-1).

Keywords

Air pollution, Natural Radioactivity, Gamma radiation, HPGE, Uranium, Iraq

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