Exposure of aquatic organisms to natural radionuclides in irrigation drains, Qena, Egypt

• Published in: Scientific reports 2023-01, Vol.13 (1), p.413-9, Article 413
• Main Authors: Din, K. Salahel, Ahmed, N. K., Abbady, A., Abdallah, F. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 704/158; 704/172; 704/4111; Aquatic Organisms; Chronic exposure; Crustaceans; Drains; Egypt; Energy; Humanities and Social Sciences; International organizations; Irrigation; Irrigation water; Mollusks; multidisciplinary; Organisms; Phytoplankton; Polyethylene; Potassium; Radiation; Radiation Monitoring - methods; Radioactivity; Radioisotopes; Radioisotopes - analysis; Radium isotopes; Radium radioisotopes; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sediment samplers; Sediments; Shellfish; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Spectrometry; Spectrometry, Gamma; Water - analysis
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27594-4

Natural radioactivity in irrigation drains was measured by gamma spectrometry, and the resulting dose rates received by aquatic organisms were estimated. Irrigation water and sediment samples were collected from 5 irrigation drains located in Qena governorate, south of Egypt. The average activity concentrations (Bq L −1 ) of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40  K in irrigation water were 0.76 ± 0.06, 0.27 ± 0.02, and 8.14 ± 0.71, while in sediment (Bq kg −1 ) were 24.46 ± 1.84, 20.72 ± 1.45, and 453.00 ± 28.14, respectively. The total dose rate per aquatic organism ranged from 1.94 × 10 –04  µGy h −1 in Mollusc to 7.15 × 10 –04  µGy h −1 in phytoplankton. These values are far from the international recommended limit 400 µGy h −1 for chronic exposure to aquatic organisms, and the dose rate screening value of 10 µGy h −1 suggested by ERICA tool. Based on these results, it is unlikely that harmful effects will appear on the considered aquatic organisms due to exposure to natural radioactivity in the studied environment.