Measuring of ²²²Rn gas concentration and mapping in Al-Najaf soil samples

¹ Department of Physics, College of Education for Pure Sciences, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq
² Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Kufa, Al-Najaf, Iraq
³ Department of Physics, Faculty of Education for Girls, University of Kufa, Al-Najaf, Iraq

^* Corresponding author: ali.alhameedawi@uokufa.edu.iq

Abstract

Lung cancer may be caused by extended exposure to high amounts of radon gas, with the estimated yearly effective dosage from inhaling the gas being around 55% of the natural public exposure dose rate. In the present work, radon-222 (²²²Rn) gas measurements were carried out in soil samples at depth 40 cm for Al-Najaf city using RAD-7 detectors that produced from DURRIDGE (made in USA). Measurements were carried out from Augst 2024. The annual effective dose (D_inh) in soil due to radon gas concentrations that inhalation by the public was calculated. The results of radon concentration in thirty-five regions in Najaf city ranged 193.9±3.5 Bq/m³ to 6405± 20.0 Bq/m³. The maximum value of the annual effective dose calculated in Al-Saad District was 6.76 mSv/y. and the minimum value found in Al-Ulama District was 0.2 mSv/y. From the results, it follows that all of these radon concentrations and D_inh in soil samples are below 10 kBq/m³ and 10 mSv/y, respectively which it was considered low risk. Moreover, it was establishing a radon gas map to reference the following studies using GIS technology.