Measuring uranium concentration in Um Qasr district, southern Iraq, in two different ways

Mostafa A Algrifi; Thaer M Salman

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110595

Measuring uranium concentration in Um Qasr district, southern Iraq, in two different ways

Appl Radiat Isot. 2023 Feb:192:110595. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110595. Epub 2022 Dec 2.

Authors

Mostafa A Algrifi¹, Thaer M Salman²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics, College of Education for Pure Science, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq. Electronic address: mostafajawad88@gmail.com.
² Department of Physics, College of Education for Pure Science, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq. Electronic address: thaer_msalman@yahoo.com.

PMID: 36516636
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110595

Abstract

The current study uses ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and SSNTDs (solid-state nuclear track detectors) to measure uranium concentrations in 12 surface soil samples from selected locations in Um Qasr in the Southern Basrah governorate. In the ICP-MS technique, uranium concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 2.2 ppm, with an average value of 1.3 ppm. In the SSNTDs technique, uranium concentrations ranged from 1.4 ± 0.3 ppm to 1.6 ± 0.2 ppm, with an average value of 1.5 ± 0.2 ppm. The results obtained from the soil samples were within the permissible limits recommended by the UNSCEAR Committee of 11.7 ppm.

Keywords: CR-39 detector; ICP-MS; Neutron activation technique; SSNTDs; Soil; Uranium concentration.

MeSH terms

Iraq
Mass Spectrometry / methods
Soil / chemistry
Spectrum Analysis
Uranium* / analysis

Substances

Uranium
Soil