ASSESSMENT OF RADIATION HAZARDS OF RADIONUCLIDES FOR GRANITE ROCKS FROM GABAL GHAREB, EASTERN DESERT OF EGYPT

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to measure the radioactivity concentrations of the natural radionuclides 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K in the Gabal Ghareb region in the eastern desert of Egypt. The activity concentrations were measured by using a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector-based γ-spectrometry. The activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K for the collected rock samples were varied from 6.3±0.32 to 136.73 ± 6.80 Bqkg -1 with an average value of 45.75±2.28 Bqkg -1 , from 6.05±0.35 to 120.10±6.01 Bqkg -1 with an average value of 50.91±2.56 Bqkg -1 , and from 377.54±18.87 to 1102.01±55.10 Bqkg -1 with an average value of 826.13±39.33 Bqkg -1 , respectively. The radiological risk parameters such as radium equivalent (Raeq), external risk index (Hex), internal risk index (Hin), absorbed dose rate (ADR), annual effective dose rate (AEDR), annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) were calculated to assess the radiation risks associated with the studied rock samples. Most of these parameters are higher than the recommended reference levels. The data obtained provide a valuable future database to estimate the impact of radioactive contamination in the studied area and in the places where the rocks are used.