Assessment of natural radioactivity levels in soil samples from some areas in Assiut, Egypt

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2013-12, Vol.20 (12), p.8700-8708
• Main Authors: El-Gamal, Hany, Farid, M. El-Azab, Abdel Mageed, A. I., Hasabelnaby, M., Hassanien, Hassanien M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cosmic rays; Daughters; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Egypt; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Factories; Gamma rays; Industrial plant emissions; Jupiter; Landfill; Plant introductions; Potassium Radioisotopes - analysis; Power Plants; R&D; Radiation; Radiation Monitoring; Radioactivity; Radium; Radium - analysis; Research & development; Research Article; Sensors; Soil - chemistry; Soil contamination; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Studies; Thermal power; Thermal power plants; Thorium - analysis; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-1844-1

The natural radioactivity of soil samples from Assiut city, Egypt, was studied. The activity concentrations of 28 samples were measured with a NaI(Tl) detector. The radioactivity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K showed large variations, so the results were classified into two groups (A and B) to facilitate the interpretation of the results. Group A represents samples collected from different locations in Assiut and characterized by low activity concentrations with average values of 46.15 ± 9.69, 30.57 ± 4.90, and 553.14 ± 23.19 for 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K, respectively. Group B represents samples mainly collected from the area around Assiut Thermal Power Plant and characterized by very high activity concentrations with average values of 3,803 ± 145, 1,782 ± 98, and 1,377 ± 78 for 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K, respectively. In order to evaluate the radiological hazard of the natural radioactivity, the radium equivalent activity (Ra eq ), the absorbed dose rate ( D ), the annual effective dose rate ( E ), the external hazard index ( H ex ), and the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) have been calculated and compared with the internationally approved values. For group A, the calculated averages of these parameters are in good agreement with the international recommended values except for the absorbed dose rate and the AGDE values which are slightly higher than the international recommended values. However, for group B, all obtained averages of these parameters are much higher by several orders of magnitude than the international recommended values. The present work provides a background of radioactivity concentrations in the soil of Assiut.