Radon Assessment in Ceratophyllum demersum Plant Samples

Rana R Al Ani; Sahar A Amin; Ahmed Alwan

doi:10.24996/ijs.2022.63.12.17

Authors

Rana R Al Ani Environment Research Center, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
Sahar A Amin Environment Research Center, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
Ahmed Alwan Environment Research Center, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24996/ijs.2022.63.12.17

Keywords:

Ceratophyllum demersum, CR-39, radium content, radon, Tigris River, uranium concentration

Abstract

The amount of radioactive isotopes in submerged Ceratophyllum demersum plants samples were estimated using passive track detector CR-39. The samples were collected from four selected sites along the Tigris River in Baghdad city, on a monthly basis for one complete year of 2019. Certain factors like radon concentration (Bq.m^-3), radium content (Bq.kg^-1) and uranium concentration (ppm) were evaluated. The average values of ²²²Rn level, ²²⁶Ra content and ²³⁸U concentration in Ceratophyllum demersum samples for site (1) were (593.1 Bq.m^-3, 5.8 Bq.kg^-1, 0.113 ppm), site (2) were (413.4 Bq.m^-3, 3.8 Bq.kg^-1, 0.074 ppm), Site (3) were (465.5 Bq.m^-3, 4.3 Bq.kg^-1, 0.083 ppm) and site (4) were (431.3 Bq.m^-3, 3.9 Bq.kg^-1, 0.077 ppm), respectively. The results obtained in this work indicated that the radium content and uranium concentration present in the Ceratophyllum demrsum is acceptable which does not pose any risk to the aquatic ecosystem.