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Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science
ISSN: 1814-635X (print), ISSN: 2521-3520 (online)
Volume 30, Issue 1, 2019
DOI: http: //doi.org/10.23851/mjs.v30i1.358
199
Copyright © 2018 Authors and Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Research Article
Determination of Uranium Contents in Soil Samples in
Al-Hamdaniya Region Using Solid State Nuclear Track
Detector CR-39
Malik H. Kheder, Hanaa N. Azeez , Muna Y. Slewa, Thoalfiqar A. Zaker
Physics Department, College of Education, Al-Hamdaniya University, IRAQ
*Correspondent Author Email: malik.19732013@yahoo.com
A r t i c l e I n f o
Abstract
Received
26/11/2017
Accepted
06/03/2018
Published
15/08/2019
Uranium is a common radioactive element in Earth’s crust (soil, rock), so it is important there
quantity to be under control. The concentration of uranium in soil varies widely, depending on
the geological location its concentration in the surface soil vary from 0.1 mg.Kg-1 (ppm) to 20
mg.Kg-1 (ppm) with a world average of 2.8 ppm and the permissible limit 11.7 ppm. The ura-
nium concentration, radon activity, radon concentration, in twenty soil samples collected from
AL-Hamdaniya region, east of Mosul City north of Iraq, were measured using can technique
based on Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs) CR-39. The estimated values for the
uranium activity which equal to radon activity at secular equilibrium were found to be
(581.11-1453.5) mBq with mean value 905.89 mBq, the uranium concentration are between
(0.313-0.784) ppm with mean value of 0.488 ppm. All values of the samples under the test are
below the allowed limit and worldwide average value.
Keywords: Uranium Concentration, Radon Activity, AL-Hamdaniya Region, CR-39.
لاةـصخ
c-CR 391453.5) -(581.11 mBq 905.89 mBq 0.784) ppm-(0.313 0.488 ppm
11.7 ppm2.8 ppm
Introduction
The radiation that we exposed to is referred to
the natural background radiation; it has been a
part of human environment. Its main compo-
nents are cosmic and cosmogenic radiation in
rocks and soil, and natural radioactive sub-
stances [1]. One of the main determinations of
the natural background radiation is the soil ra-
dionuclide activity concentration [2].
The soil is naturally radioactive, because of the
mineral content. The natural radioactivity may
vary considerably from one type of soil to an-
other. Radionuclides are found in the environ-
ment and soil, as naturally occurring elements
and as product of nuclear technologies, one of
these radionuclides is uranium [3].
Uranium like many other minerals is naturally
occurring element that has always been pre-
sent, since the formation of the earth. It has
been deposited on land by volcanic action, dis-
solved by rainfall. All isotopes of uranium are
radioactive, so it is very important there quanti-
ty to be under control [4]. The abundance and
half-life of a uranium isotope determine its
contribution to the radioactivity of natural ura-
nium. It decays by emitting alpha particles, be-
coming nonradioactive lead. Each new radio-
nuclide along the decay chain is called a prog-
eny (or decay product), it is contributed about
seven times more to the total radioactivity of
soil than that of the uranium itself. Uranium is
the proximate source of radium and radon in
Malik et al.
Determination of Uranium Contents in Soil Samples in AL-Hamdaniya Region Using Solid State Nuclear
Track Detector CR-39
2019
200
the soil and rocks. Radon a progeny of urani-
um, is one of the largest contributors to our
background radiation. Radon is a gas, so can
escape from the ground. We are exposed to
various concentrations of radon depending on a
number of factors, including the amount of
uranium in the soil [5].
Uranium accumulated in humans may have a
dual effect due to its chemical and radioactive
properties. High intake of uranium and its de-
cay products may lead to harmful effects in
human beings [6]. An exposure of about 0.1
mg.Kg-1 of body weight of soluble natural ura-
nium results in transient chemical damage to
the kidneys [7]. The concentration of uranium
in soil varies widely. Depending on the geolog-
ical location, its concentration in the surface
soil vary from 0.1 mg.Kg-1 to 20 mg.Kg-1 with
a world average of 2.8 mg. Kg-1(specific activi-
ty 35 Bq/Kg) [8], and the allowed limit 11.7
ppm [10] .
CR-39 (The plastic SSNTD) detector was used
to find the concentration of uranium in the soil.
Because of the advantage of its high sensitivity,
efficiency, ease and accuracy in determining
the emitting elements of the alpha particles
even if the concentration is very small. These
tracks observed by microscope after enlarge-
ment by etching process [12].
The aim of this research was to determine ura-
nium concentration in twenty soil samples from
AL-Hamdaniya region. The measurement of
uranium concentration is necessary to investi-
gate the concentration in causing various dis-
eases, especially cancer.
Materials and Methodology
Uranium dosimeter techniques were used, the
measurements were made with solid-state nu-
clear track detector (SSNTD) technique as
shown in Figure 1.
Each cup container is 7cm heights and 6.5cm
in diameter and contains (1 × 1) cm square of
CR-39 nuclear track detector fixed with dou-
ble-sided adhesive tape to the bottom of cover
of the cup. The CR-39 detector was capable of
detecting alpha particles of all energies emitted
from radon and its daughters. Some of alpha
particles reach the detector and leave tracks.
The number of tracks is proportional to the av-
erage radon concentration.
Figure 1: A schematic diagram of the sealed-can tech-
nique in soil sample.
Twenty soil samples were collected from vari-
ous locations of AL-Hamdaniya region. These
samples milled, dried, crushed, sieved by 2-
mm mesh, 150 gm of each sample was placed
inside a plastic cylindrical container (uranium
dosimeter) facing a CR-39 track detector. The
distance between the sample surface to the de-
tector is 4 cm and the sample height is 3cm,
then closed for a period of 90 days (from 10
March 2017 to 8 June 2017).
After 90 days the detectors are removed and
etched by NaOH at normality 6.25 N and heat
70 ºC in water bath to reveal the tracks. The
detectors were washed and dried, tracks were
counted using a microscope at a magnification
of 400x.
The track densities were measured using the
following equation [14]:
(1)
Where: A is the area of the field of view , is
the total number of tracks and is the total
number of fields of views .
The radon concentration in air space
(Bq/m3) is related to the track density (in
track/cm2) and the exposure time T(in day) by
the formula [15] :
(2)
Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science
ISSN: 1814-635X (print), ISSN: 2521-3520 (online)
Volume 30, Issue 1, 2019
DOI: http: //doi.org/10.23851/mjs.v30i1.358
201
Copyright © 2018 Authors and Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Where K is the sensitivity or calibration factor
of CR-39 its value (2.758 × 10-2 Traks. cm-2.
day-1 / Bq.m-3) given by ref. [16].
Radon Rn concentration in the samples calcu-
lated by using the relation [17]
(3)
Where Radon concentration in the samples
(Bq/m3), Radon concentration in air space
(Bq/m3), decay constant for radon (0.1814
day-1), H height of air space in the can (4 cm),
T exposure time (90 day), L thickness of the
sample in the can (3cm).
The activity of radon in the sample (ARn) could
be determined through relation [19]:
(4)
Where activity of radon, V the volume of
sample = 99.5 X 10-6 m3, r is can
radius.
Uranium concentration can be determined
through the activity of radon by the number of
atoms of radon using the relation [20]:
(5)
And by using the equation of secular equilibri-
um (activity of uranium equal activity of ra-
don) one can determine the number of atoms of
uranium in the samples [21]:
(6)
Where is decay constant of uranium (4.883
X 10-18 sec-1), then the weight of uranium in the
samples could be calculated from [23]:
(7)
Where uranium mass number 238U,
Avogadro number (6.02 X 1023 atom / mol)
Uranium concentration then can be calculated
by:
(8)
Where uranium concentration in (ppm),
mass of samples which is used in gram (150
gm).
Results and Discussion
The results of the track density, radon concen-
tration, and uranium activity, uranium weight
in sample, uranium concentration, for twenty
soil samples are presented in Table 1.
The calculated values for radon concentration
in soil samples are in the range (5840.3-
14608.5) Bq/m3 with mean value of 9104.52
Bq/m3, the radon activity were found vary be-
tween (581.11-1453.5) mBq with mean value
905.89 mBq which equal to specific activity of
6.04 Bq/Kg by dividing activity on sample
mass in Kg (0.150 Kg), the uranium concentra-
tion (0.313-0.784) ppm with mean 0.488 ppm.
Where the min values found in the sample
no.21 Al-Hamdaniya apartments and max val-
ues in sample no.2 Karamlis apartments, All
values of the samples under the test are below
of allowed limit 11.7 ppm, and world average
value 2.8 ppm. In (Table 2), compression with
some other measurements in Iraq, show that the
estimated results are less than these measure-
ments, the area under study is safe for life from
uranium concentrations.
Figure 2 the variation of the values of the ura-
nium concentration in the samples, its vary
from one sample to another due to uranium
content in sample.
In Figure 3 a good positive correlation (1.00)
has been obtained between the uranium con-
centration and the radon concentration in soil
samples. It is indicate that the radon concentra-
tion will increase as the content of uranium in-
creased.
Malik et al.
Determination of Uranium Contents in Soil Samples in AL-Hamdaniya Region Using Solid State Nuclear
Track Detector CR-39
2019
202
Table 1: Results of the track density, radon concentration, and uranium activity, uranium weight in sample, uranium
concentration in soil samples.
S.
Location
ρ
Track/cm2
CS
Bq/m3
AU=ARa mBq
WU X10-6
gm
CU
ppm
1.
Hamdaniya aprtments
666
5840.3
581.11
47.04
0.313
2.
Sanhareeb Q.
760
6663.1
662.97
53.67
0.357
3.
Gazino Onil
893
7829.9
779.07
63.07
0.420
4.
ALShuhadaa Q.
840
7366.2
732.93
59.34
0.395
5.
Akad Q
933
8180.4
813.95
65.90
0.439
6.
ALMuaalamin Q.
1466
12856.1
1279.2
103.56
0.690
7.
Sumer Q.
1333
11689.4
1163.1
94.16
0.627
8.
Ashor Q.
1213
10635.8
1058.2
85.67
0.571
9.
Musa Q.
866
7592.6
755.46
61.16
0.407
10.
Simenir
960
8417.6
837.55
67.81
0.452
11.
Nvertaya
906
7943.1
790.33
63.98
0.426
12.
Kalih Q.
826
7242.2
720.60
58.34
0.389
13.
Industrial area
800
7013.6
697.85
56.50
0.376
14.
AL-Baath Q.
1200
10522.6
1047
84.76
0.565
15.
AL-Wahda Q.
946.6
8300.1
825.86
66.86
0.445
16.
Municipal Nursery
1133
9934.9
988.52
80.03
0.533
17.
Saint Barbara
1000
8768.1
872.42
70.63
0.470
18.
Eastern Karamlis
1266
11101.6
1104.6
89.43
0.596
19.
Karamlis Apartments
1666
14608.5
1453.5
117.68
0.784
20.
Garden of Karamlis
1093
9584.4
953.64
77.21
0.514
Min
666
5840.3
581.11
47.04
0.313
Max
1666
14608.5
1453.5
117.68
0.784
Mean
1038
9104.52
905.89
73.34
0.488
Table 2: Compression with recent measurements in Iraq
N
Researcher
Location
Uranium concentration (ppm)
Min
Max
Mean
1.
Present work
AL-Hamdaniya-Mosul-Iraq
0.313
0.784
0.488
2.
2014 ref. [24]
Al-Najaf - Iraq
0.093558
0.184325
--------
3.
2013 ref. [25]
Jalawla'a city-Diyala-Iraq
0.719
1.280
--------
4.
2016 ref. [11]
Tuwaitha - Baghdad - Iraq
1.07
4.20
2.40
5.
2015 ref. [26]
Sulaimani - Iraq
1.253
18.225
6.029
Figure 2: Uranium concentration (ppm) in samples.
Figure 3: relation between radon concentration and
Uranium concentration.
Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science
ISSN: 1814-635X (print), ISSN: 2521-3520 (online)
Volume 30, Issue 1, 2019
DOI: http: //doi.org/10.23851/mjs.v30i1.358
203
Copyright © 2018 Authors and Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Conclusions
The results of this investigation showed low
presence of uranium in soil samples in AL-
Hamdaniya region. A correlation coefficient of
1.00 between the uranium concentration and
radon concentration in soil sample obtained it
is evident that as the content of uranium in-
creased, the radon concentration as well as in-
crease. The obtained values of uranium con-
centration were found to be less than the max-
imum permissible limit 11.7 ppm and world-
wide average value 2.8 ppm as the recom-
mended by UNSCEAR. Hence the area under
investigation is safe as for as health hazards
and radiological risks due to uranium concen-
tration in the soil.
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