Estimation of radioactivity in plankton deposited on air conditioner filters in the old area of Mosul city, Iraq

ABSTRACT

The essential objective of this study was to estimate ²²²Rn, ²³⁸U, and ²²⁶Ra concentrations of plankton samples, along with the risk indices defined by PAEC, Ep, AED and CPPP. These analyzes were carried out on plankton samples from fifteen-alley air conditioner filters in the old Mosul area. In this analysis, using the cumulative monitoring technique of the PM-355 nuclear track detector. The maximum concentrations of radon, uranium, radium and risk indices were observed in Bableksh (sample 5) alley at 77.77(Bq. m⁻³), 3.74(ppm), 21.46(Bq.kg⁻¹), 0.0084(mWL), 0.3465(WLMY⁻¹), 1.962(mSv.y⁻¹), and 35.31(per 10⁶person). Whereas at Al Hadhira alley the minimum was found to be 39.07(Bq.m⁻³), 2.05(ppm), (10.78 Bq.kg⁻¹), 0.00422(mWL), 0.1741(WLMY⁻¹), 0.9856 (mSv.y⁻¹), and 17.74(per10⁶ person. The average concentrations of radon, uranium, radium and, risk indices of all studied alleys were 59.156$\pm$10.7 (Bq. m⁻³), 2.803(ppm)$\pm$0.48, 16.34$\pm$4.49(Bq.kg⁻¹), 0.00646((mWL))$\pm 0.00011$, 0.2662 (WLMY⁻¹)±$0.0517$, 1.506 (mSv.y⁻¹)±$0.279$, and 27.116 (per 10⁶person)±$5.043$, respectively. Alpha indexes were estimated for all surveyed alleys, in addition to the radioactivity tests and the risk indices. Their values varied between 0.053 and 0.107, with an average 0.081 $\pm$0.0021. Such levels are significantly smaller than the total dose given by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the effects of atomic radiation, especially at Exposure to ²²²Rn progeny (Ep) which is within the range of 0.2–10 mSv.y⁻¹ (UNSCEAR). Appropriate correlations between radon concentration with uranium and radium concentration (R² = 0.8739 and 0.896) have been identified, respectively. The results revealed that the amount of background radioactivity of the alleys of old Mosul area would be within acceptable limits.

KEYWORDS:

• ²²²rn levels
• ²³⁸u concentration
• hazard indices
• PAEC
• Ep
• AED
• I α

Acknowledgments

Authors are grateful to Mosul University, college of science and physics department for their encouragement and support in completing this research.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).