Distribution of Radionuclides and Radiological Health Assessment in Seih-Sidri Area, Southwestern Sinai

Gharam A Alharshan; Mohamed S Kamar; El Saeed R Lasheen; Antoaneta Ene; Mohamed A M Uosif; Hamdy A Awad; Shams A M Issa; Hesham M H Zakaly

doi:10.3390/ijerph191710717

Distribution of Radionuclides and Radiological Health Assessment in Seih-Sidri Area, Southwestern Sinai

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 28;19(17):10717. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191710717.

Authors

Gharam A Alharshan¹, Mohamed S Kamar², El Saeed R Lasheen³, Antoaneta Ene⁴, Mohamed A M Uosif⁵, Hamdy A Awad⁶, Shams A M Issa^{7

8}, Hesham M H Zakaly^{7

9}

Affiliations

¹ Physics Department, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
² Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box 530, El Maadi, Cairo 11728, Egypt.
³ Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt.
⁴ INPOLDE Research Center, Faculty of Sciences and Environment, Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, 47 Domneasca Street, 800008 Galati, Romania.
⁵ Physics Department, College of Science, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch, Cairo 71524, Egypt.
⁷ Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch, Cairo 71524, Egypt.
⁸ Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71451, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Abstract

The current contribution goal is to measure the distribution of the radionuclide within the exposed rock units of southwestern Sinai, Seih-Sidri area, and assess the radiological risk. Gneisses, older granites, younger gabbro, younger granites, and post granitic dikes (pegmatites) are the main rock units copout in the target area. Radioactivity, as well as radiological implications, were investigated for forty-three samples from gneisses (seven hornblende biotite gneiss and seven biotite gneiss), older granites (fourteen samples), and younger granites (fifteen samples of syenogranites) using NaI (Tl) scintillation detector. External and internal hazard index (H_ex, H_in), internal and external level indices (Iα, Iγ), absorbed dose rates in the air (D), the annual effective dose equivalent (AED), radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq), annual gonadal dose (AGDE), excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), and the value of Upper Continental Core ²³²Th/²³⁸U mass fractions were determined from the obtained values of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K for the examined rocks of Seih-Sidri area. The average ²³⁸U mg/kg in hornblende biotite gneiss and biotite gneiss, older granites, and syenogranites is 2.3, 2.1, 2.7, and 8.4 mg/kg, respectively, reflecting a relatively higher concentration of uranium content in syenogranites. The results suggest that using these materials may pose risks to one's radiological health.

Keywords: Egypt; Seih-Sidri area; radioactivity; radiological hazard indices.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Potassium Radioisotopes / analysis
Radiation Monitoring* / methods
Radioactivity*
Radioisotopes / analysis
Radiologic Health
Radium* / analysis
Soil Pollutants, Radioactive* / analysis
Thorium / analysis
Uranium* / analysis

Substances

Potassium Radioisotopes
Radioisotopes
Soil Pollutants, Radioactive
Uranium
Thorium
Radium

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Princess Nourah bint, Abdulrahman University, Research Supporting Project number (PNURSP2022R173) Princess Nourah bint, Abdulrahman University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.