Environmental assessment of gamma-radiation levels in stream sediments around Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt

Al-Sharkawy, A.; Hiekal, M.Th.; Sherif, Mahmoud I.; Badran, H. M.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.05.020

Cited by 23 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The counting time was prolonged as necessary to ensure at least counting statistics less than 3 and 5 % in the measured net peak area of the major gamma ray photopeaks for natural radionuclides and 137 Cs, respectively. The activities of 226 Ra and 232 Th were determined as previously described (Ramadan et al 2011;Al-Sharkawy et al 2012). 40 K and 137 Cs were directly determined using 1460.8-and 661.7-keV γ-rays, respectively.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of elemental and NROM/TENORM hazard potential from non-nuclear industries in North Sinai, Egypt

Elmekawy

Badran

Seddeek

et al. 2015

Environ Monit Assess

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Non-nuclear industries use raw materials containing significant levels of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). The processing of these materials may expose workers engaged in or even people living near such sites to technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material (TENORM) above the natural background. Inductively coupled plasma and gamma ray spectrometry have been used to determine major and trace elements and radionuclide concentrations in various samples, respectively, in order to investigate the environmental impact of coal mining and cement plant in North Sinai, Egypt. Generally, very little attention was directed to the large volumes of waste generated by either type of industrial activities. Different samples were analyzed including various raw materials, coal, charcoal, Portland and white cement, sludge, and wastes. Coal mine and cement plant workers dealing with waste and kaolin, respectively, are subjected to a relatively high annual effective dose. One of the important finding is the enhancement of all measured elements and radionuclides in the sludge found in coal mine. It may pose an environmental threat because of its large volume and its use as combustion material. The mine environment may have constituted Al, Fe, Cr, and V pollution source for the local area. Higher concentration of Al, Fe, Mn, B, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Sr, V, and TENORM were found in Portland cement and Zn in white cement. Coal has higher concentrations of Al, Fe, B, Co, Cr, and V as well as (226)Ra and (232)Th. The compiled results from the present study and different worldwide investigations demonstrate the obvious unrealistic ranges normally used for (226)Ra and (232)Th activity concentrations in coal and provided ranges for coal, Portland and white cement, gypsum, and limestone.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of elemental and NROM/TENORM hazard potential from non-nuclear industries in North Sinai, Egypt

Elmekawy

Badran

Seddeek

et al. 2015

Environ Monit Assess

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“…For quality control, the measurements were cross-checked for some samples using a 50 % p-type closed-end coaxial HPGe detector (Canberra) with an energy resolution (FWHM) of 1.89 keV for the 1332.5 keV 60 Co γ -line. The details of the HPGe measurements and energy and efficiency calibrations' procedures are given elsewhere [23][24][25]. Table 1 lists the geographic position of each location and the name of the area together with the TOM, pH, and grain size fractions of the sand samples.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Radium equivalent (Ra eq ), absorbed dose rate at a height of 1 m above the ground surface (D), indoor and outdoor annual effective dose (AED), external hazard index (H ex ), and gamma-radiation hazard index (I γ r ) (for definitions, see, e.g., [25,31]) were calculated from the activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K. The results are also given in Table 3. Radium equivalents ranged from 8.7 to 292.9 Bq kg −1 that is less than the maximum of 370 Bq kg −1 suggested for the safe use of materials in the construction of dwellings [32].…”

Section: Dosimetrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Multivariate Statistical Analysis of High Background Radiation Area on the Hadhramout Coast

2015

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This work focuses on the radiometric characteristics of beach sand along the Hadhramout coast, Gulf of Aden, Yemen. Beach sands samples were collected from 27 locations. The activity concentrations of the terrestrial radionuclides 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K were determined. The results obtained provide pioneering data on the radioactivity levels in the coastal areas of Hadhramout. The radioactivity concentration of 232 Th was found to be a major contributor to the enhanced level of radiation in some beaches. The radiological data were processed using one-way analysis of variance to find out the differences between the elevated and non-elevated 232 Th groups of locations and multivariate statistical analysis, i.e., principal component analysis, discriminant analysis, and clustering analysis, to find similarities and correlation between the various samples and to discriminate between the two groups of locations. From the radiation hazard point of view, the outdoor annual effective dose for the region varied from 5.1 to 155.5 mSv with a mean value of 34.9 ± 31.9 mSv. The highest radiation level was found in Al-Jraf beach, where the highest absorbed dose rate of 126.8 nGy h −1 was recorded and the radiation hazard index exceeded twice the recommended limit of unity.

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“…The Can_ chambers were sealed tightly with a thick tape to prevent gas escape and then stored for 60 days to obtain radioactive equilibrium between 226 Ra and its decay products of short half-life, and to reduce statistical error while the alpha particles track the detector, can be seen elsewhere (Al-Sharkawy, et al, 2012). The detectors were etched chemically using 6.25 M of NaOH at 70°C for 6 h, to enlarge the alpha tracks.…”

Section: B Radon Concentration and Exhalation Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural Radioactivity and Radon Exhalation in the Sediment River Used in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq, Dwellings

Hussein

2018

ARO

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The samples, sand and pebble (Sediment River), were collected from their selling places in Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq. Sand and pebble emanate each of 238 U, 232 Th, 40 K, and radon naturally. The radon concentration in the air (C o ) and gamma-specific activity (A s ) of the samples were measured using passive detectors (CR-39) and gamma spectrum analyzer (3 × 3 NaI (Tl) connected to digital spectrum analyzer), respectively. The mean value of the C o ± deviation of the investigated samples was 176.5 ± 6.9 Bq/mᵌ, which is lower than the worldwide value of 300 Bq m − ᵌ reported by the IAEA. However, an anomaly in C o value was found in Tanjaro (Sand) sample. The mean value radon mass exhalation rate (E M ) was 10.9 ± 0.5 μB q /kg/h. The second part of the measuring is the gamma-specific activities (A s ) of each 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K. The A s values were ranged (4.3 ± 0.2-22.6 ± 0.2), (1.9 ± 0.1-4.2 ± 0.1), and (39.8 ± 0.2-86.0 ± 0.4) B q /k g , respectively. The mean calculated value of radium equivalent (Ra eq ) was 20.2±0.2 B q /k g . The annual effective dose rate of gamma (H ann ) was 0.13 mS v /y. Fortunately, the H ann value of the samples is lower than the world average value of 0.48 mS v /y.

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Environmental assessment of gamma-radiation levels in stream sediments around Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt

Cited by 23 publications

References 22 publications

Assessment of elemental and NROM/TENORM hazard potential from non-nuclear industries in North Sinai, Egypt

Assessment of elemental and NROM/TENORM hazard potential from non-nuclear industries in North Sinai, Egypt

Multivariate Statistical Analysis of High Background Radiation Area on the Hadhramout Coast

Natural Radioactivity and Radon Exhalation in the Sediment River Used in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq, Dwellings

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