ESTIMATING THE CONCENTRATION OF URANIUM IN SOME ENVIRONMENTAL-SAMPLES IN KUWAIT AFTER THE 1991 GULF-WAR

The concentration of uranium in Kuwait soil samples as well as in solid fall-out and surface air-suspended matter samples has been assayed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). It was found that average U concentration in the soil samples (similar to 0.7 mu g/g) is half of that in solid fall-out and air particulate matter samples. The average U concentration in the latter samples in the summer season was 2 mu g g(-1) and decreased to 1 mu g g(-1) during the winter of 1993/94. The higher concentration in the solid fall-out and air samples cannot be explained by fall-out from the oil fired power station as the U average concentration of the escaping fly ashes from the station was only 0.22 pg g(-1). The uranium concentration in the tap water was a very low 0.02 pg L(-1). The total per capita annual intake of uranium via inhalation by Kuwait inhabitants was appraised to be approximate to 0.05 Bq, which is <0.2% of the recommended annual limit on intake for members of the general population.