Assessment of radioactivity for gamma rays in Tuwaitha Site and surrounding Areas

Abstract

In this study, and over three years from 2008-2010 evaluation of the radioactivity of the areas around the former Tuwaitha nuclear site (which is 20 kilometers southeast of Baghdad) in addition to the villages of Ishtar and AL-Ta'mim  which are located inside the Tuwaitha site, to protect the environment and residents from the potential hazard of ionization radiation. 

          Measurements of Gamma rays were carried out in the outdoor at high one meter from the surface of the ground using a portable radiation detectors with high sensitivity, the radiological surveys showed the outdoor dose rates range from ( 0.08 - 0.11 ) μSv/hr,with an average of 0.9 μSv/hr  for the regions Ishtar , AL-Ta'mim villages and inside Tuwaitha site by using Ludlum. While the dose rates outdoor range from (0.12-0.16) μSv/hr , with an average of 0.13 μSv/hr for the regions surrounding Tuwaitha site by using FAG. These values are comparable with other regions in the Baghdad city, which indicates there is no significant increase in reading rates of activity.

            The radiological analyses of the collected soil samples were done in the laboratory of the center of Radiological Researches / Ministry of sciences & Technology according  to the international specifications and by using gamma spectrometry (which consist of High- purity Germanium Detector) with a efficiency of 40% and resolution 2 keV for at 1.33Mev  gamma ray photo peak of  Co-60 source,. The Laboratory results of 5 soil samples indicated there were no significant levels of radioactivity for the natural radionuclides in the series of ²³⁸Uand ²³²Th,as background levels, in addition to the presence of low concentrations of an isotope ¹³⁷Cs. The values are comparable to those for other regions in  Baghdad city ,and thus can considered normal concentrations.