Radon, Radium, Polonium, and Uranium Concentrations in the Rocks Determined by Passive Method in Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Hiwa Mohammad Qadr
Abstract
Radon is a radioactive element produced in the Earth’s crust by the alpha decay of 226Ra, a member of 238U decay series that naturally occurs in many biological formations at different concentrations. As this radioactive gas rises from the samples, it enters homes and human lungs every day. The aim of this study is to determine the concentration of radon, radium, uranium, and radon daughters deposited on the chamber walls (POW) and on the detector face (POS) in 16 types of rock samples collected from Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Tracks of alpha particles released from radon gas content in rock samples were recorded using passive detector, such as CR-39. The chemical etching solution of NaOH 6.25 N was used at 70 °C for 7 h to enlarge and reveal the alpha tracks, then scanned by microscope. The findings demonstrate that the average concentration of 222Rn,226Ra,238U, 218Po, and 214Po in rock samples were 112.79 Bq.m−3, 0.041 Bq.kg−1, 0.117 ppm, 29.73 Bq.m−3, and 12.69 Bq.m−3, respectively. The obtained radon, radium, and uranium concentration levels were lower than the global permissibility limiting value.