Quantitative measurement of the radioactivity from the truffles growing naturally in Samawa desert – Iraq

The environmental pollution in general and the radiant pollution in particular constitute one of the most dangerous problems affecting population and other life forms. Because our country has been exposed to intensive military operations since 1991 until 2003 especially in the south where different types of radiological weapons were used in addition to the natural radiation doses which increase the radioactivity concentration in this area. Measurement of the radioactivity in the crops grown naturally in areas which were thought to has been fired upon by DU munitions, dust, or anywhere it`s dust has been settled. The crop under study was the truffle which grows in the desert of Samawa - south west of Iraq in large quantities. In the late years, the truffle`s growing influenced by the force of thunderclaps and the rains which fell in October to November. The study included three overlapping trails; in the first trail, (fresh wet samples with sand) were cut in to small pieces, and samples of (100 gram) were prepared for activity concentration measurement. In the second trail (fresh washed samples) were cut in to small pieces and samples of (100 gram) were prepared for activity concentration measurement also. The third trail (washed-dry samples) used for measurements and (100 gram) of the powdered ash examined with the Geiger Muller Radalert 100 detector. The radioactivity concentration and the annual effective dose received by the Iraqi population were calculated and it was found to be ranged from (1.33 Bq/kg) to (32.61 Bq/kg) and (0.36 mSv/yr) to (2.42 mSv/yr) respectively. These results were compared with those from other countries. The present results of the study revealed that the radioactivity was relatively low in the crop whether it was fresh or after drying it and within the permissible limit recommended by the International Commission of Radiation Protection (ICRP). From radiation protection point of view, truffles do not pose a threat to the Iraqi population health as the results showed that the growing crops hadn`t any unacceptable level of radiation doses.