Evaluation of uranium concentration in soil samples of Al-Diwaniya governorates using ICP-mass techniques

Abstract

The present work is concerned with the measurements of uranium concentrations in fourty nine surface soils samples from selected locations (some of them were measured for the first time as far as authors know) in Al-Diwaniyah governorate by using ICP-Mass (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) was found to be ranging from 2.78 ppm in (Al-shamr 2) to 7.99 ppm in(Al-shawfa) in soils. The results are presented and compared with other studies. The measurements of uranium concentration of soils samples measured had a uranium content of less than 100 ppm, a concentration that characterizes overburden and tailings quality, rather than minable reserves. This paper presents and evaluates the concentration of uranium in Al-Diwaniya Governorates. The study further reveals that 49 surface soil samples have uranium below detection limit. The present results have shown that the uranium concentrations in the studied surface soils samples were less than the allowed value (11.7 ppm) recommended by UNSCEAR, 1993.