Determination of Radium concentration and radon exhalation rate in soilsamples using CR-39

Measurements of radium concentration, radon exhalation rate (surface and mass exhalation rates) were made for a number of 168 measurements of soil samples in some towns of the Gezira State in the central part of the Sudan. In this survey, we used the can technique, containing CR-39, to estimate the radium concentration and radon on exhalation rates from the soils of: El-Hosh, El-Managil and Medani towns in the Gezira State- Central Sudan. The results of radium concentrations and mass and surface exhalation rates from soil samples were found to be 91 ± 7 Bq.kg-1, 0.10 ±0.01 Bq.kg-2.h-1 and 4.86 ± 0.66 Bq.m-2.h-1 for El-Hosh soils, 182 ± 48 Bq.kg-1, 0.20 ±0.09 Bq.kg-2.h-1 and 9.77 ± 4.38 Bq.m-2.h-1 for El-Managil soils and 249 ± 14 Bq.kg-1, 0.27 ±0.03 Bq.kg-2.h-1 and 13.35 ±1.30 Bq.m- 2.h-1 for Medani soils. All the values of radium content in soil samples of study towns were found to be quite lower than the permissible value of 370 Bq.kg-1 recommended by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and larger than the average global value of 30 Bq.kg-1, the surface and mass exhalation rates were compared with other values in another countries.