Dispersion of Natural Radionuclides and Radiological Characterization in Sedimentary Rocks at West of Gabal Adediya, Sinai, Egypt

Abstract

The main natural radionuclides U-238, Th-232, U-235, and the members of their decay chain were studied in detail. P-type HPGe detector was used for specific activity concentration measurements. The present work stresses on the distribution of these natural radionuclides in forty-five sedimentary rock samples collected from west Gabal Adediya, southwestern Sinai, Egypt. The average activity concentrations for 238U, 232Th, and 40K ranged between 104.38 ± 42.16 𝑩𝒒⁄𝒌𝒈 and 4507.41 ± 202.96 𝑩𝒒⁄𝒌𝒈, 9.97 ± 2.2𝑩𝒒⁄𝒌𝒈 and 143.83 ± 14.53 , and 60.02 ± 3.78 𝑩𝒒⁄𝒌𝒈 and 1567.34 ± 9.11 𝑩𝒒⁄𝒌𝒈 with an average value of 1016.31 ± 83.87 𝑩𝒒⁄𝒌𝒈, 87.39 ± 10.10, and 804.53 ± 7.32 𝑩𝒒⁄𝒌𝒈 respectively. The obtained values were higher than the recommended values. Radiological hazard parameters were estimated based on the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K to find out any radiation hazard associated with these sediments. The radiological hazard parameters such as: absorbed gamma dose rates in air(𝑫𝒂𝒊𝒓), annual effective dose equivalent (𝑨𝑬𝑫𝑬), external hazard index (𝑯𝒆𝒙) internal hazard index (𝑯𝒊𝒏), the annual gonad equivalent dose (𝑨𝑮𝑬𝑫), and excess lifetime cancer risk (𝑬𝑳𝑪𝑹), were calculated and compared with the internationally approved values and the recommended safety limits.