Environmental risk assessment associated with acidic volcanics in Egypt

Mohamed Y Hanfi; Ahmed E Abdel Gawad; Khaled G Ali; Atef Abu-Donia; Khalid G Alsafi; M A Khafaji; Sarah K Albahiti; Mohammed S Alqahtani; Magdy Khalil; Adel A Abdel Wahed

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110413

Environmental risk assessment associated with acidic volcanics in Egypt

Appl Radiat Isot. 2022 Oct:188:110413. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110413. Epub 2022 Aug 11.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box 530 El-Maadi, Cairo, Egypt; Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia. Electronic address: mokhamed.khanfi@urfu.ru.
² Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box 530 El-Maadi, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: gawadnma@gmail.com.
³ Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box 530 El-Maadi, Cairo, Egypt.
⁴ Radiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia; Radiology Department, Medical Physics Unit, King Abdulaziz University, Hospital, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Radiological Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia; BioImaging Unit, Space Research Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom.
⁶ Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Egypt.

PMID: 35994917
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110413

Abstract

The present work aims to study gamma rays emitted by radionuclides such as ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K from acidic Monqul volcanics. The studied volcanics are represented by a thick stratified lava flows interbanded with their pyroclastics. They are composed of thick lava flows of andesite and, to a lesser extent of basalt, and acidic volcanics including rhyolite and dacite. The average values of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K are (46 ± 24 Bq kg^-1), (62 ± 11 Bq kg^-1) and (1227 ± 318 Bq kg^-1) in the rhyolite-dacite samples are greater than the worldwide average. The variation of radioactive bearing minerals observed inside granite faults produced the great amounts of radioactivity perceived in the samples. Calculating radiological risks is used to assess the public's radioactive risk from radionuclides revealed in the studied Rhyolite-dacite samples. The acceptable limit for excess lifetime cancer (ELCR) evaluations has been exceeded. As a result, Rhyolite-dacite are inappropriate for apply in building materials.

Keywords: Excess lifetime cancer; Hazardous; Monqul volcanics; Radioactivity; Rhyolite-dacite.

MeSH terms

Egypt
Potassium Radioisotopes / analysis
Radiation Monitoring* / methods
Radioactivity*
Radioisotopes / analysis
Radium* / analysis
Risk Assessment
Soil Pollutants, Radioactive* / analysis
Thorium / analysis

Substances

Potassium Radioisotopes
Radioisotopes
Soil Pollutants, Radioactive
Thorium
Radium