Abstract
The huge volume of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) wastes produced annually by the oil and gas industry in Libya deserves the attention of the national environmental protection authority, radioactive waste management and regulatory bodies. An investigation was carried out to find out the concentration of (NORMs) in evaporation ponds sludge in south eastern oilfield (A/100) of Libya. Twenty soil samples were collected from five evaporation ponds sludge. Activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in soil generated during oil production operations were determined using a gamma spectroscopy system based on High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. Concentrations ranged from 83 to 1000 Bq kg–1 for 226Ra, 59 to 315 Bq kg–1 for 232Th and 109 to 304 Bq kg–1 for 40K. To evaluate the radiological effects, radium equivalent activity and external hazard are calculated. The magnitude of these results demonstrates the need of screening oil residues for their radionuclide content in order to decide about possibility of minimize the environmental impact of NORM and their final disposal. Disposal of NORM waste has to be in accordance with national regulations, environmental policy and international agreements and conventions. The researchers recommend limits for clearance and disposal, based on best international practice. arabic 18 English 82