1. Distributions and Risk Assessment of the Natural Radionuclides in the Soil of Shoubra El Kheima, South Nile Delta, Egypt.
- Author
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Osman, Randa, Dawood, Yehia H., Melegy, Ahmed, El-Bady, Mohamed S., Saleh, Ahmed, and Gad, Ahmed
- Subjects
RADIOISOTOPES ,NATURAL radioactivity ,BACKGROUND radiation ,SOILS ,RADIATION protection - Abstract
Due to heightening concern about radiation hazards protection, activity concentrations of
226 Ra,232 Th,40 K in forty soil samples collected from Shoubra El Kheima in the South Nile Delta were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry. The mean activity concentrations of226 Ra and40 K were higher in 20% of the considered samples than the world average values. A comprehensive comparison with up-to-date data was carried out. Spatial distribution maps of the measured radionuclides and radiological parameters were generated. The distributions of natural radionuclides were influenced by the soil organic matter, clay content, and scavenger metals oxides, as well as differences in the physical and chemical attributes and solubility of these radionuclides. The results revealed that industrial activity and agricultural practices in the study area caused an incremental increase in226 Ra and40 K activity concentrations. It can be deduced that although there are intensive industrial activities in this area, the natural radiation that comes from the soil is normal and does not pose a significant radiological hazard to the public. The natural radioactivity of soil in this area needs to be monitored periodically to prevent unnecessary radiation exposure to inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
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