Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Assessment of radioactivity levels and radiation hazards in building materials in Egypt

  • Ahmed E. Abdel Gawad (Nuclear Materials Authority) ;
  • Mohamed Y. Hanfi (Nuclear Materials Authority) ;
  • Mostafa N. Tawfik (Nuclear Materials Authority) ;
  • Mohammed S. Alqahtani (Radiological Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University) ;
  • Hamed I. Mira (Nuclear Materials Authority)
  • Received : 2023.09.28
  • Accepted : 2023.11.03
  • Published : 2024.02.25
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Abstract

Different degrees of natural radioactivity found in quartz can have negative consequences on health. Quartz vein along the investigated Abu Ramad area, Egypt, had its natural radioactivity assessed. The HPGe spectrometer was used to determine the role played by the radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K in the gamma radiation that was emitted, and the results showed that these concentrations are 484.64 ± 288.4, 36.8 ± 13.1 and 772.2 ± 134.6 Bq kg-1 were higher than the corresponding reported global limits of 33, 45, and 412 Bq kg-1 for each radionuclide (238U, 232Th, and 40K). Among the radiological hazard parameters, the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) is estimated and it's mean value of ELCR (1.2) is higher than the permissible limit of 0.00029. The relationship between the radionuclides and the associated radiological hazard characteristics was investigated based on multivariate statistical methods including Pearson correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). According to statistical research, the radioactive risk of quartz is primarily caused by the 238U, 232Thand 40K. Finally, applying quartz to building materials would pose a significant risk to the public.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University (KKU) for funding this research through the Research Group Program Under the Grant Number (R.G. P.2/588/44).

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