Radon Concentration in Soil and Radon Exhalation Rate at Al-Dora Refinery and Surrounding Area in Baghdad

Abstract

Radongas concentrations in soil samples were determined from depths (surface, 15, and 30) cm for nine locations in Al-Dora refinery and surrounding area using "sealed can technique" and CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors. The radon concentration in surface samples ranged from 810.08 to 1380.08 Bq/m 3 with an average 1137.71 Bq/m 3 . The radon concentration in soil at the depth 15 cm was ranged from 490.5 to 1197.52 Bq/m 3 with an average 732.78 Bq/m 3 and at the depth 30 cm was ranged from 362.07 to 889.53 Bq/m 3 with an average 529.41 Bq/m 3 . The surface exhalation rate in surface soil samples ranged was 0.44, to 0.99 Bqm -2 h -1 with average 0.61 Bqm -2 h -1 . The surface exhalation rate in soil samples at the depth 15 cm was ranged from 0.22 to 0.64 Bqm -2 h -1 with average 0.39 Bqm -2 h -1 . The surface exhalation rate in soil samples at the depth 15 cm was ranged from 0.22 to 0.64 Bqm -2 h -1 with average 0.39 Bqm -2 h -1 . The surface exhalation rate and the mass exhalation rate in soil samples at the depth 30 cm ranged from 0.19, to 0.48 Bqm -2 h -1 with average 0.28 Bqm -2 h -1 . The mass exhalation rate in surface soil samples ranged from 0.09 to 0.21 Bqkg -1 h -1 with average 0.12 Bqkg -1 h -1 . The mass exhalation rate in soil samples from depth 15 cm was ranged from 0.046 to 0.14 Bqkg -1 h -1 with average 0.08 Bqkg -1 h -1 . The mass exhalation rate in soil samples at the depth 30 cm was ranged from 0.042 to 0.1 Bqkg -1 h -1 with average 0.06 Bqkg -1 h -1 .