Radioactivity determination in soil of Salah Al-Din governorate, Iraq

The specific activity of naturally radionuclides (226Ra,212Pb and 40K) with artificial (137Cs) nuclide in soil samples were measured using NaI(Tl) scintillation detector for 30 different locations in Salah Al-Din Governorate, Iraq in 2020. The results show that the highest value of activity concentration of 226Ra, 212Pb, 137Cs, and 40K ranged from ( 0.432, 1.565, 0.822, 140.3 Bq/kg ), to ( 1125, 71.27, 27.71, 1895 Bq/kg) with an average ( 292.8, 15.43, 8.37 and 605.7 Bq/kg) respectively. The radium equivalent activity was studied and it’s average value as (361.5 Bg/kg). The absorbed dose rate in soil was also studied for the samples and its extend from (15.62 nGyh−1) to (574.35nGyh−1). The outdoor annual effective doses extend ranged from (0.032mSv/y to (0.61mSv/y) with an average value of (0.21mSv/y), and the indoor annual effective doses ranged from (0.08mSv/y) to (2.82mSv/y) with an average value (0.83mSv/y) for one year. The external hazard indices were found to be less than 1 lower than the global limite and the internal hazard indices with an average value of 1.77 higher than the global limite. The excess lifetime cancer risk was calculated using the risk factors of International Commission on Radiological Protection and Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation.