Radionuclides Distribution in Al-Qayyarah Oil Wells and refinery in Nineveh Government, Iraq

Zainab  Mowafaq Marie; Laith Najam; Taha  Yaseen Wais; Berivan F. Namq

Authors

Zainab Mowafaq Marie Department of Physics , College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq
Laith Najam 3Department of Physics , College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1747-7748
Taha Yaseen Wais Chemical, Biological and Radiological Safety and Security Division, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq
Berivan F. Namq Department of Basic Science, College of Dentistry, University of Kirkuk, Kirkuk, Iraq

Keywords:

Specific Activity, gamma spectroscopy, Oil wells, Nineveh Government

Abstract

This work presents a study of radioactivity in soil samples collected from oil well sites of the Al-Qayyarah Oil Wells and refinery in Nineveh Government, Iraq. The study utilized spectroscopy system with NaI(Tl). The average activity concentrations observed were 30.58±0.38 Bq/kg for ²²⁶Ra, 19.98±0.57 Bq/kg for ²³²Th, 292.32 ±10.28 Bq/kg for ⁴⁰K. These results were compared to the average worldwide values, and it was found that the values for some sites exceeded the allowable worldwide levels. Additionally, various hazard indices were calculated. The radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq) was 81.97 Bq/kg, the absorbed gamma dose rate (D_R) was 38.55 nGy/h, the annual effective dose rate (AEDE) was 47.28 µSv/y outdoor and 189.13 µSv/y indoor, the external hazard (H_ex) was 0.22, the internal hazard (H_in) was 0.30, the gamma radiation representative level index (I_?) was 0.60, the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) was 271.05, and the excess lifetime cancer risk was 165.48. Statistical analyses, including mean, median, standard deviation, kurtosis, skewness, box plots, frequency distributions, Quantile-quantile (Q-Q) plots, Pearson's correlation coefficient, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis, were conducted to further examine and explain the results.

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Author Biography

Zainab Mowafaq Marie, Department of Physics , College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq

Physics

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