RADON CONCENTRATION MEASUREMENTS IN SOIL GAS OF SAWA LAKE, SAMAWA CITY - SOUTH OF IRAQ

Radon concentration measurements in the soil gas and in the atmospheric air was carried out around Sawa lake, Samawa City, Southern part of Iraq. Thirtieth chosen locations as sampling points of soil around the lake have been studied. The radon in soil gas were measured using a continuous radon monitoring device RAD7. Radon concentrations was found in the range of (86.9 Bq.m-3) to (6448 Bq.m-3) with an average value of (1963 Bq.m-3). Annual effective dose (AED) due to inhalation was estimated from the measured radon concentration near to the soil surface and is found to be ranged from (0.000826) to (0.061282 mSv.y-1) with an average value of (0.01866 mSv.y-1). The AED due to inhalation were found to be within the safe limit recommended by WHO of 0.1mSv.y-1 and or far below from the reference levels proposed by ICRP of 1mSv.y-1, which revealed that the radon concentration and the associated annual effective dose does not pose any kind of health hazard to the population and tourists in the study area.