Estimation of alpha activity and radiologic hazards due to radon resulting from cement used in iraqi market

Abstract

In this study, sealed cans technique containing the CN-85 detector was used to estimate the radioactivity of alpha particles and the radiologic hazards resulting from radon in eighteen cement samples available in the Iraqi market. The obtained results show that, the radon concentration varied from (4.918±0.123 to 19.023±0.242) ×103 Bq/m3 with a mean (11.513±0.184)×103 Bq/m3 . The effective radium content vary from 0.631±0.044 to 2.442±0.086 Bq/kg with a mean 1.478±0.065 Bq/kg. Mass and surface for radon exhalation rate vary from 4.772±0.121 to 18.46±0.238 mBq/kg.h with a mean 11.172±0.182 mBq/kg.h , and from 84.895±0.511 to 328.367±1.006 mBq/m2.h , with a mean 198.740±0.769 mBq/m2.h respectively. The uranium concentration varied from 9.477±0.171 to 36.658±0.336 Bq/kg with a mean value of 22.187±0.256 Bq/kg. It was found that the value of the annual effective dose varied from 4.643±0.119 to 17.958±0.235 mSv/y with a mean 10.869±0.179 mSv/y . Alpha index vary from (3.157±0.098 to 12.211±0.194) ×10−-3 , with a mean (7.391±0.148) ×10−-3 . Increased lifetime cancer risk varied from (16.250±0.223 to 62.854±0.44) ×10−-3 , with a mean value of (38.041±0.336) ×10−3. After obtaining those results and comparing them with the global average and permissible limits recommended by international scientific agencies such as the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP 2010), the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR, 2017).It was found that the rate of each of the concentration of the radium content, the concentration of uranium, the radon exhalation rate, and the alpha index were less than the permissible rate, while the rates of both the radon concentration and the annual effective dose were slightly greater than the global permissible rate. In general, the studied cement samples are safe for use.