Measurement of Uranium Concentrations, Radium Content and Radon Exhalation Rate in Iraqian Building Materials Samples

Abdalsattar K Hashim^1, and Laith A. Najam²

¹Department of Physics, College of Science, Kerbala University, Kerbala, Iraq

²Department of Physics, College of Science, Mosul University, Mosul, Iraq

Cite this paper:
Abdalsattar K Hashim and Laith A. Najam. Measurement of Uranium Concentrations, Radium Content and Radon Exhalation Rate in Iraqian Building Materials Samples. International Journal of Physics. 2015; 3(4):159-164. doi: 10.12691/ijp-3-4-4

Abstract

Uranium, radium concentration and radon exhalation rate in twenty one building material samples collected from markets of Iraq were measured using the sealed-can technique based on the CR-39 SSNTD_S. The values of effective radium content were found to vary from (0.037 to 4.986) Bq/kg with a mean value of 0.745Bq/kg. The values of mass exhalation rates of radon vary from (0.688 ×10⁻⁸ to46.910×10⁻⁸) Bq/kg.day with a mean value 7.012×10⁻⁸Bq/kg.day, while the surface exhalation rates of radon vary from (0.344×10⁻⁶to23.472×10⁻⁶)Bq/m².day with a mean value of 3.508×10⁻⁶Bq/m².day. Uranium content in these samples has been found, it is varying from 0.074 to 5.055 ppm with a mean value of 0.755ppm. The mean values of radon exhalation rate, radium content and uranium concentration in building material samples of study area were found well below the values of 57.600 mBq/m².h , 370 Bq/kg and 3ppm, respectively.

Keywords:
uranium concentration radium content radon exhalation rates

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