Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in the Soil of Near Basra Oil Company Fields

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the levels of contamination with Natural Occurring Radioactive Materials NORM in one of the south oil company fields. The external gamma absorbed dose rate Dγ measured in units of µSv/h was caused by gamma rays of Radium 222, Radium 228 (Thorium 232), and Potassium 40, respectively. The largest value is 9.220 µSv/h. It was found that the highest specific activity (concentration) for Radium 226 is 1136 Bq/kg and the lowest is 0.06 and the highest specific activity for Radium 228 is 721 Bq/kg and the lowest is 0.02 Bq/kg. As for Radium 224, its highest specific activity is 631 Bq/kg and the lowest is 0.02 Bq/kg. Radium-228 is higher than that of Radium-224 or Radium-226, as the Radium-224 is from the Uranium-232 series, and the Radium-228 and Radium-224 are from the Thorium-232 series, meaning that the percentage of the daughters of the Thorium chain is lower than the percentage of the daughters of the Thorium chain Uranium, because the half-life of Radium-226 is 1600 years, which is greater than the half-life of Radium-228, which is 5.75 years. A comparison was made between the local results with the results of soil in Amman. Methods of treating pollution with natural radioactive materials in the oil industry were also discussed.