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- Title
Effects of the deterioration of construction materials industry on the radioactivity background in Baghdad, Iraq.
- Authors
AlKhayat, Zainab Qahtan; AlMaliki, Salam J. Bash
- Abstract
The potential presence of radioactivity in construction materials is considered a major health hazards for residents and inhabitants of various kinds of buildings, either directly or indirectly, via transition through air. The construction industry has been greatly affected by the numerous wars in Iraq since the 1980s. The most apparent problem is the lack of oversight which means that contractors have not followed safety standards. This study investigated radioactivity levels in residential areas in Baghdad, Iraq in order to assess safety. A ɣ-ray spectrometer system was used based on a germanium high pure GHP detector. Indoor samples from residential areas built before and after 2003 were compared for their radioactivity. Similar comparisons were made for outdoor samples. Results showed indoor total radioactivity of 200 Bq/m3 for new buildings as compared to 64.8 Bq/m3 for older buildings. Outdoor findings showed a total radioactivity of 25.05 Bq/m3 and 11.303 Bq/m3 for new and old buildings, respectively. Indoor radioactivity levels surpassed the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency’s limits, while outdoor samples showed much less radioactivity as compared to indoor ones, especially for ones considerably far..
- Subjects
BAGHDAD (Iraq); IRAQ; DETERIORATION of materials; CONSTRUCTION materials; CONSTRUCTION industry; RADIOACTIVITY; ENVIRONMENTAL protection; RESIDENTIAL areas; PRIVATE security services; EPIDEMIOLOGICAL transition
- Publication
Kuwait Journal of Science, 2020, Vol 47, Issue 1, p97
- ISSN
2307-4108
- Publication type
Article