Measuring the radioactivity of sediment samples from the Shatt Al-Arab river in basra and comparing it statistically
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31349/RevMexFis.72.041202Keywords:
Basra, gamma spectroscopy, NORMs, sediments; Shatt al-ArabAbstract
Given the economic and tourism importance of the Shatt al-Arab River in Basra Governorate, this study aimed to evaluate the radiation levels in 20 sediment samples from different areas of the river. A gamma-ray spectrometer system coupled with a NaI(Tl) detector was used to determine the specific activities of the radioactive isotopes, 226Ra, 232Th and ⁴⁰K in the sediments. The specific activity values ranged from 0–16.80 Bq /kg with a mean of 3.29 Bq /kg for 226Ra, 0–4.31 Bq /kg with a mean of 1.08 Bq/kg for 232Th, and 17.58–464.25 Bq /kg with a mean of 213.02 Bq /kg for ⁴⁰K. The internal and external doses, absorbed doses, and equivalent radioactivity (Raeq) were also calculated. The results showed that all radiological indicators and calculated doses were within the internationally permissible limits. The calculated annual testicular dose (AGED) was lower than the international limit (300 μSv·y⁻¹), and the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) was lower than the internationally permissible value (2.9 × 10⁻³) according to the UNSCEAR 2000 report. The data were also statistically analyzed to compare sediments between four different areas of the Shatt al-Arab, and the results showed no statistically significant differences, with the highest radioactivity recorded in the riverbank sediments compared to the areas closer to the riverbed. This study represents an important first step towards developing an integrated radiological map of the Shatt al-Arab.
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Copyright (c) 2026 S. Awad Kadhim, A. A. Abd-Aljbar, A. A. Rasheed, Q. Shamkhi Alkafaji, H. H. Hussein, F. I. Sharrad
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