Assessing Radiological Hazards and Spatial Distribution of Natural Radioactivity in the Suez Region (Egypt) through Ground–Airborne Gamma-Ray and GIS Integration | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Geology | ||
| Volume 69, Issue 1, 2025, Pages 317-341 PDF (1.93 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/egjg.2025.424349.1128 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Belal Mohamed Abdou* 1; Ahmed Mahmoud Saad2; Ali Elsayed Omar3; Mohamed Abdel Halim Saker1 | ||
| 1Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt | ||
| 2Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. | ||
| 3Sedimentary Radioactive Deposits Department, Research Division, Nuclear Materials Authority (NMA), P.O. Box: 530, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| A radiological-focused geo-environmental study was carried out in Egypt’s Suez region to investigate the presence and distribution of both naturally occurring and human-made radionuclides within soil layers at varying depths. A total of 87 soil samples were obtained-29 each from depths of 0, 5, and 10 meters. To enhance spatial coverage, approximately 106 supplementary samples were derived from airborne gamma-ray spectrometry maps, allowing for a more comprehensive regional analysis of radiological risks. The specific activity concentrations of natural radionuclides (238U, 232Th, and 40K) were measured using High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) γ-ray spectrometry. Radiation hazard indicators such as radium equivalent activity, gamma index, internal and external hazard indices, annual effective dose (both indoor and outdoor), and absorbed dose rate were systematically evaluated. For surface-level soil samples (0 meters), radium equivalent activity varied between 50 and 100 Bq/kg, with an average of 75 Bq/kg. The gamma index ranged from 0.29 to 0.80 (mean 0.55); while the internal hazard index spanned 0.27 to 0.97 (mean 0.62). The estimated annual indoor effective dose ranged from 0.18 to 0.52 mSv/year (mean 0.35), and absorbed dose rates were between 37 and 106 nGy/hour (mean 72). A gradual increase in these parameters was noted with depth, reaching peak values in samples derived from airborne gamma-ray data where radium equivalent activity reached up to 609 Bq/kg (mean 385), and absorbed dose rate peaked at 280 nGy/hour (mean 180). This multidisciplinary investigation, incorporating both ground-based sampling and airborne survey techniques, delivers an extensive dataset detailing the spatial distribution of radionuclides and related radiological risks across the Suez region. The findings contribute valuable insights for environmental surveillance, hazard evaluation, and the development of radiation safety measures along the Gulf of Suez. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Radiological Hazards; Natural Radioactivity; Ground–Airborne Gamma-Ray Survey; GIS; Spatial Distribution; Suez Region; Egypt | ||
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