Measuring uranium concentration in Um Qasr district, southern Iraq, in two different ways

The current study uses ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and SSNTDs (solid-state nuclear track detectors) to measure uranium concentrations in 12 surface soil samples from selected locations in Um Qasr in the Southern Basrah governorate. In the ICP-MS technique, uranium concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 2.2 ppm, with an average value of 1.3 ppm. In the SSNTDs technique, uranium concentrations ranged from 1.4 ± 0.3 ppm to 1.6 ± 0.2 ppm, with an average value of 1.5 ± 0.2 ppm. The results obtained from the soil samples were within the permissible limits recommended by the UNSCEAR Committee of 11.7 ppm.