Spatial Distributions and Risk Assessment of the Natural Radionuclides in the Granitic Rocks from Gabal Gattar II, Eastern Desert, Egypt

• Published in: Radiochemistry (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 64; no. 6; pp. 783 - 792
• Main Authors: El-Taher, A., Mohamed, A., Yehia, L., Salaheldin, G., Elsman, R., Khamis, H. A., Ahmed, A. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-12-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Gamma ray spectrometers; Germanium; Health physics; Natural radioactivity; Nuclear Chemistry; Radiation hazards; Radioisotopes; Radium 226; Risk assessment; Rocks; Spatial distribution; Eastern Desert; HPGe detector; Gabal Gattar II
• ISSN: 1066-3622; 1608-3288
• DOI: 10.1134/S1066362222060169

The knowledge of the natural radioactivity content of various radionuclides in the rocks plays an important role in the health physics because of the population’s exposure to the radiation. The study is devoted to assessing the specific activity and examining the radiation hazard indices of naturally occurring radionuclides
226
Ra,
232
Th, and
40
K in rocks samples at different locations in Gabal Qatar II, Eastern Desert, Egypt. The activities were measured using a γ-ray spectrometer with a hyperpure germanium detector (HPGe). They ranged from 279 ± 50 to 196061 ± 19726, from 48 ± 13 to 23223 ± 2342, and from 17 ± 2 to 1358 ± 216 Bq kg
–1
for
226
Ra,
232
Th, and
40
K, respectively. The calculated hazard indices due to natural radionuclides were higher than the average national and world recommended values; therefore, the rocks pose health risks to the population of the area.