Determination of Radionuclides and Heavy Elements in the Rising Dust in the Small Side of Diwaniyah City due to the Movement of Wheels and Cars

Abstract

This research aims to determine the concentration of radionuclides in dust samples on the public streets of the small side of Diwaniyah city in Iraq as a result of movements of wheels and cars using the gamma spectra and high purity germanium detector (HPGe) with resolution of (2.3 keV) for energy (1.332 MeV) of cobalt 60Co. Dust samples were collected from the streets Diwaniyah city with (26) samples prepared for measurement. The results of the specific activity concentration of Uranium-238, Thorium-232, Potassium-40 and Cesium-137 were (14.66 ± 0.950, 26.29 ± 2.431, 219.04 ± 15.150 and 11.49 ± 0.876) Bq/kg respectively. The radiation parameters Raeq, absorbed dose rate, annual effective external exposure rate and annual effective dose rate of internal exposure were (69.122 Bq/kg, 31.787 nGy/h, 0.0389 mSv/y,0.155 mSv/y) respectively. The value of the external risk index (Hex), the internal risk index (HIn) and the risk index for gamma radiation was (0.186,0.226 and 0.506) respectively. The results obtained from granular volumetric analysis of dust patterns as a result of movement of cars and vehicles indicate that most of dust for some samples of the study area was sandy-silt with a little clay (Sandy Silt Clayey). These components of dust depend on the energy and speed of the transport wind, Volumetric granules.