Radionuclide Uptake and Soil-to-Plant Transfer Factor of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in Leafy Vegetables from Farming Areas in Sohag, Upper Egypt.
Mahmoud, M., El-Zohry, M. (2025). Radionuclide Uptake and Soil-to-Plant Transfer Factor of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in Leafy Vegetables from Farming Areas in Sohag, Upper Egypt.. EKB Journal Management System, 58(3), 46-57. doi: 10.21608/ajnsa.2025.376617.1885
Mahmoud Hashim Mahmoud; Mohamed Ahmed El-Zohry. "Radionuclide Uptake and Soil-to-Plant Transfer Factor of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in Leafy Vegetables from Farming Areas in Sohag, Upper Egypt.". EKB Journal Management System, 58, 3, 2025, 46-57. doi: 10.21608/ajnsa.2025.376617.1885
Mahmoud, M., El-Zohry, M. (2025). 'Radionuclide Uptake and Soil-to-Plant Transfer Factor of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in Leafy Vegetables from Farming Areas in Sohag, Upper Egypt.', EKB Journal Management System, 58(3), pp. 46-57. doi: 10.21608/ajnsa.2025.376617.1885
Mahmoud, M., El-Zohry, M. Radionuclide Uptake and Soil-to-Plant Transfer Factor of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in Leafy Vegetables from Farming Areas in Sohag, Upper Egypt.. EKB Journal Management System, 2025; 58(3): 46-57. doi: 10.21608/ajnsa.2025.376617.1885

Radionuclide Uptake and Soil-to-Plant Transfer Factor of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in Leafy Vegetables from Farming Areas in Sohag, Upper Egypt.

Arab Journal of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
Volume 58, Issue 3, July 2025, Page 46-57  XML PDF (757.05 K)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.21608/ajnsa.2025.376617.1885
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Authors
Mahmoud Hashim Mahmoud email 1; Mohamed Ahmed El-Zohry2
1Ministry of Education, Egypt
2Physics, Faculty of Scienceو Sohag University Sohag, Egypt
Abstract
This study quantified the activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) in 25 soil and 25 leafy vegetable samples. These were taken from farming areas in the Sohag Governorate, Upper Egypt, during both the summer and winter months.
Gamma spectroscopy, utilizing a calibrated High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector, was employed for radionuclide analysis. The radium equivalent activity (Raeq) and soil-to-plant transfer factors (TF) were calculated to assess radiological hazard and radionuclide uptake, respectively.
Results indicated that activity concentrations of ²³⁸U (9.23-20.17 Bq/kg), ²³²Th (12.69-23.76 Bq/kg) and ⁴⁰K (178.80-373.90 Bq/kg) in soil samples were below established global safety limits. In plant samples, activity concentrations were also within safe limits, with ⁴⁰K exhibiting the highest average concentration (126.5 Bq/kg).
Raeq values for both soil (41.14-79.23 Bq/kg) and plant samples (10.43-34.38 Bq/kg) were significantly below the 370 Bq/kg safety threshold. TF values indicated differential radionuclide uptake by plants, with ⁴⁰K demonstrating the highest average TF (0.41), reflecting its biological significance.
Overall, the measured radionuclide concentrations and transfer behaviors suggest that the cultivation and consumption of leafy vegetables in the studied region do not pose significant radiological health risks.
Keywords
Radioactivity; Radionuclide; Radiological hazard; Radium equivalent; Transfer factor
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