Fly ash radiological characterization from thermal power plants in Iraq

The present study aims to measure the activity concentrations of radionuclides ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs in samples of fly ashes collected from two thermal power plant in Iraq, by gamma spectroscopy using a NaI (Tl) detector. The radiological hazard related to these activities is also assessed through several worldwide commonly used indexes established by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The results are statistically presented, discussed and compared with literature and with worldwide reference averages: no significant radiation hazard comes from the analyzed fly ashes, although ∼ 25% of the samples exceed the activity concentration limits. (author)