Determination of the Natural Radioactivity of Soil Samples from the Ancient City Nippur in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate -Iraq.

In the present study, the activity and concentration of natural radionuclides were determined for 40K, 232Th, and 238U in from the ancient city Nippur (Nefer), located in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate. study the activity concentrations by using a scintillation detector (3" x 3") and measure radionuclides' qualitative effectiveness for these items. The sodium iodide activated by Thallium NaI (Tl) has been used to perform the activity measurements. 15 samples had their natural radioactivity levels assessed at three different depths: 5cm, 50cm, and 1m . ⁴⁰K, Th²³², and ²³⁸U had average specific activities of (143.446±1.024, 13.848±0.305, and 10.779±0.418) Bq/kg in depth (5)cm, (133.498±1.016, 13.48±0.331 and 10.701±0.416) Bq/kg in depth (50) cm, and( 100) m. ⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, and ²³⁸U had average specific activities of (53.527±1.067, 15.305±0.348, and 10.849±0.417) Bq/kg. correspondingly for each of the three depths, the average radium equivalent activity was(41.545±0.965, 40.130±0.828,44.430±0.995) Bq/kg. For each of the three depths, the corresponding internal and external risk factors were (0.106±0.000258,0.142±0.00038),(0.105±0.000227,0.136±0.000347), (0.118±0.000256, 0.129±0.00038). For each of the three depths, the representative levels index's average values were (0.323±0.000727, 0.294±0.000581, 0.329±0.00129). The average internal and exterior absorbed dose levels for each of the three depths were expressed in (nGy/h) (17.681 ±0.436, 18.882±0.384, 20.586±0.449). Values of the internal and exterior annual effective dosage equivalents for the same three depths, respectively (0.09±0.0000175, 0.0194±0.0000949) mSv/y, (0.09±0.0000175, ±0.0000476) mSv/y, (0.098±0.000258, 0.024±0.0000554) mSv/y. average value of lifetime risk of cancer from the three consecutive depths were (0.300±000818 x10-3), (0.398±0.0720 x10^-3), (0.364±0.000941 x10^-3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]