Investigation of Radioactivity Levels and Radiation Hazards for Plants Species Grown at Scrap Yard (A) at Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site (Iraq)

Knowledge of radionuclides concentrations in environmental media (such as common plants species) plays an important role in environmental protection and monitoring of any release of radioactivity to the environment. The activity concentrations and distribution of natural radionuclides in plants samples grown at scrap yard (A) (Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Site) were investigated in this study. The measurements were carried out using gamma-ray spectrometry system (high purity germanium detector). The average and range of the activity concentrations of 226Ra and 40K were 0.19 (BDL to 2.92 Bq/kg) and 660.86 (510 to 796.49 Bq/kg). The radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, external and internal hazard indices were estimated and compared with internationally recommended values. The results of radiological hazards assessment obtained in this study indicated that the investigated plants species grown at the studied area have natural radioactivity levels well within internationally recommended limits.