ESTIMATION THE CONCENTRATION OF UEANIUM IN THE SEDIMENTS OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SHATT AL-ARAB RIVER, NORTH OF BASRAH GOVERNORATE USING SSNTDS(CR-39)TECHNIQUES

Abstract

The present work deals with measuring concentrations of uranium in 23 samples taken from sediments of different sites of northern Shatt al-Arab located south of Basra Governorate Located in the northern part of Iraq, using a uranium fission fragment U-235 (n-f), obtained by the bombardment of U-235 with thermal neutrons. Irradiation was performed, then chemical etching was performed, and then the number of tracks was counted using a microscope. The results computed through the solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTDs) techniques For 23 samples were taken from 23 different sediment sites in the northern part of the Shatt al-Arab in the northern part of Basra Governorate, northen Iraq indicated that the uranium concentrations in the study area ranged between 1.911 ppm near Sinbad Island1and 4.120 ppm near water pumping station 1. The results of the study have shown that the uranium concentrations in the studied surface sediment samples were less than the allowed value (11.7 ppm) recommended by UNSCEAR, 1993.