Evaluation Of Gamma Activity Concentrations (226Ra, 232Th, 40K) And Related Potential Radiological Risks In Granitic Rocks From Nuweibi Mining Area, Egyptian Nubian Shield

Heikal, Mohamed Th. S.; Abddellah, Waleed M.; Kamar, Mohamed; Ibrahim, Mohamed Osama; Abd El Monsef, Mohamed

doi:10.21608/ajnsa.2022.122489.1553

	Evaluation Of Gamma Activity Concentrations (226Ra, 232Th, 40K) And Related Potential Radiological Risks In Granitic Rocks From Nuweibi Mining Area, Egyptian Nubian Shield
Arab Journal of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
Article 8, Volume 55, Issue 4, October 2022, Page 79-91 PDF (1.32 MB)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.21608/ajnsa.2022.122489.1553
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Authors
Mohamed Th. S. Heikal¹; Waleed M. Abddellah ²; Mohamed Kamar³; Mohamed Osama Ibrahim ⁴; Mohamed Abd El Monsef⁵
¹Prof. of Petrology, Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Egypt
²Prof. of Radioactivity, Radiation Protection Department, Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority, Cairo, Egypt
³Nuclear materials authority, Cairo, Egypt
⁴Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt
⁵Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University
Abstract
In the present study, we focus on the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K measured using HPGe in twenty-six (26) albite granite and granodiorite samples from the Nuweibi mining area in the central Eastern Desert between latitudes 25○ 11\ 30\\ to 25○ 12\ 35\\ N and longitudes 34○ 28\ 50\\ to 34○ 30\ 10\\ E, which is a part of the Egyptian Nubian Shield of Neoproterozoic age. The Nuweibi geology comprises an ophiolite assemblage (serpentinites and metagabbros), tuffaceous metasediments, syntectonic older granitoids (granodiorite and tonalite) and finally post-collisional younger granites (albite granite). The average activity concentrations were 11.2, 11.9 and 289 Bq/kg for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the granodiorite samples, and 42.2, 71.5 and 811 in the albite granites, respectively. Absorbed gamma dose rates (ADRA) were 24.50 nGy/h for granodiorites and 97.72 nGy/h for albite granites, and outdoor annual effective doses (AEDout) were 0.03 mSv/year for granodiorites, and 0.12mSv/year for albite granites, respectively. Calculated gamma absorbed dose rates in air and annual outdoor effective doses were also compared with literature in terms of health issues and environmental impacts of workable albite granite in the area of study.
Keywords
Nuweibi; albite granite; Nubian Shield; natural radioactivity; HPGe spectroscopy; radiation risk assessment


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