Estimation of the natural radioactivity levels in the soil along the Little Zab River, Kurdistan Region in Iraq

Gamma-ray spectrometry with high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector was used to estimate the natural radioactivity levels in the soil along the Little Zab River in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Results showed that the activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs were in ranges of 4.4-34.7, 1.5-13.3, 42.1-583.9 and 0.5-31.5 Bq kg^-1, respectively. Ra equivalent activities, absorbed dose rate and hazard indices in the study area were calculated and compared with the global average activity of the soil. The Ra equivalent activities of the studied samples were below the internationally accepted values and did not pose any health hazard to the population. (author)