Twenty soil and 25 sediment samples were collected from the banks and bottom of the River Nile in the surroundings of biggest cities located close to it. Natural radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K have been evaluated for all samples by means of γ spectrometric analysis. The radioactivity levels of soil and sediment samples fall within the internationally recommended values. Nevertheless, high natural background radiation zones are detected in the Kafr El-Zayat region due to the presence of a fertilizer factory, and in the Rosetta region due to the presence of black sand deposits. The absorbed dose rate, the γ index and excess life time cancer risk are calculated. High values for some of the radiation health parameters are detected in the Kafr El-Zayat and Rosetta regions representing a serious problem to public health because the soil and sediment are used as constructing material for buildings. Furthermore, the isotope analysis of uranium for representative collected sediment samples via α spectrometry showed average specific activities of 18.7 ± 3.6, 0.087 ± 0.0038 and 18.6 ± 3.8 Bq kg-1 for 234U, 235U and 238U, respectively. In general, these values confirm the balance in the isotopic abundance of U isotopes.
Keywords: Environmental assessment; Rosetta branch; health risk; radioactive nuclides; radioecology; river Nile; sediment; soil.