Study the radioactive concentration for soil samples contaminated with depleted uranium in Al-Nahrawan site at Baghdad governorate using high purity germanium detector

Abstract

Abstract This study is investigating the radioactivity in soil samples at the Al-Nahrawan site. The radiation survey appears there are 3000 square meters area are contaminated with DU in AL-Nahrawan site identified using Geiger–Müller (GM) for radiation survey and gamma spectrometry for 52 soil samples analysis taken from AL-Nahrawan site at different depths (0-70) cm and different locations. The results of gamma analysis using high-purity germanium show that the ratio between 235U/238U is less than 0.00720 (neutral ratio), and it has different values from 0.002-0.00588, and the average value of radioactive nuclides concentration for (238U, 235U and 40K) are (76019.61, 259.55 and 147.5) Bq/kg respectively, these values are higher than the (BG) radioactive concentration levels in Iraq for (238U and 235U) isotopes, and the analysis of 40K concentration appeared in the acceptable limits. The health effects of depleted uranium in the human body it is exposed to many health troubles through the entry of uranium oxide particles.