Cancer risk due to background in soil samples of Al Anbar governorate, Iraq

This study determined radiation dose rate (D_R), annual effective dose (AED), and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) due to background radiation in the soil of 12 cities in Al-Anbar governorate. The study used a portable dosimeter type RadEye PRD with a Geiger-Muller counter. One hundred and twenty-four locations were randomly selected from the study area from December 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025, determined using Global Positioning System (GPS). Also, the study used a Geographic Information System (GIS) software program to draw radiation maps in the study area. The results showed that the minimum value of radiation dose rate is 0.026 μSv/h in Kabisa city and the maximum was 0.119 μSv/h in Phosphate company, with an average value of 0.049±0.008 μSv/h. The range values for annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were 0.228 mSv/y - 1.046 mSv/y and 0.798×10⁻³-3.661×10⁻³, with average values of 0.431±0.077 and 1.509±0.270, respectively. The results of radiation dose rate and annual effective dose in all locations of the present study were within the average of the global average value according to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) 2008 report, which is 0.247 μSv/hr and 2.4 mSv/y, respectively, except for two locations in the Phosphate area. Also, the average values of ELCR in all twelve cities in the Al-Anbar governorate were low, and they may be considered safe with respect to background radiation.