Estimating Radon Excess Lung Cancer at the Babylon Cement Plant in Iraq

Abstract

In this work, radon excess lung cancer (ELC) was estimated for 14 soil samples from the Babylon cement plant in Iraq. A CR-39 nuclear track detector was used to measure ura- nium and radon (222Rn) concentrations in the soil samples. The uranium concentration varied from 0.008 to 0.05 ppm, with a mean value of 0.025 6 0.013 ppm. The radon con- centration was found to be between 31 and 92 Bq/m3, with a mean value of 56.72 and a standard division of 17.29. The radon ELC per million persons per year has a mean value of 863 (463.81–12,082.8) and a standard division of 261.65. The annual effective dose, E (mSv/y), ranged from 0.77 to 2.32, with a mean value of 1.44 and a standard division of 0.44.