Determination of Natural Radionuclides and Mineral Contents in Environmental Soil Samples
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Determination of Natural Radionuclides and Mineral Contents in Environmental Soil Samples S. A. Abd El‑Azeem1,2 · Howaida Mansour2,3 Received: 28 September 2019 / Accepted: 21 June 2020 © King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals 2020
Abstract A study of natural radioactivity levels in environmental samples within the northern coastal region of Egypt and the Eastern Province—Khobar, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, has been evaluated. The samples were analyzed using gamma spectrometry based on HpGe detector. The mean activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 235U, 40K in addition to 137Cs were 27.03 ± 6.74 Bq/ kg, 19.76 ± 0.92 Bq/kg, 0.83 ± 0.06 Bq/kg, 147.11 ± 1.69 Bq/kg and 0.09 ± 0.01 Bq/kg for the first region and 32.9 ± 6.65 Bq/ kg, 28.2 ± 0.78 Bq/kg, 1.10 ± 0.3 Bq/kg, 193.8 ± 1.55 Bq/kg and 0.1 ± 0.001 Bq/kg for the second region, respectively. The radiological hazard parameters such as the absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), gamma-ray hazard index (Iγ) and the annual gonadal dose equivalent of the studied samples were estimated. Also, the current work provided the mineralogical composition and the correlations between them and the distribution of radionuclides. Keywords Natural radionuclides · Mineral contents · Gamma spectroscopy
1 Introduction Over the past decade, there is an increasing demand for soil data information from policymakers to assess the state of soils at both the national and international levels. Naturally, occurring radionuclide is the main source of external gamma-ray dose. Human beings are exposed to terrestrial radiation doses caused by the radionuclides in soil, such as 226 Ra, 232Th, and their corresponding decay products, as well as 40K. Activity calculations of natural radionuclides in the soil are important in the assessment of radiation dose by observing the behavior of natural radioactivity in the ecosystem and monitoring the natural background [1–3]. Radioactivity concentration level from the radionuclides in the environment is considered the risk for human health, such as radiological exposure and associated radiation * S. A. Abd El‑Azeem [email protected] 1
Physics Department, College of Science and Humanities in Al‑Kharj, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al‑Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
2
Physics Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11757, Egypt
3
Department of Physics, College of Science and Art, Qassim University, Ar Rass 51921, Saudi Arabia
hazards, bioavailability assessment and prediction emergency response management, reclamation of contaminated sites, the definition of regulatory values and guideline [4–8]. Gamma radiation from the natural sources is the largest contributor to the external doses of the world population. These doses vary depending upon the concentrations of the natural radionuclides, 238U, 232Th, their daughter products, and 40K present in the soil and rocks, which in turn depend upon the local geology of each region in the world [9, 10]. T
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