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Distribution of Natural Radioactivity in the Egyptian Part of the Nile River from Aswan to El-Minia

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The Nile River

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 56))

Abstract

Ionizing radiation has sufficient energy to ionize molecules and has different forms such as electromagnetic waves (gamma and X-rays) and high-energy particles (alpha and beta). Background radiation is the natural level of radioactivity from the environment such as from cosmic radiation. According to the IAEA, soil typically contains the following four natural radioisotopes: 40K as single occurrence, 226Ra, 238U, and 232Th as radioactive series. Different measurements of natural radioactivity were executed in the sediments of the Upper Egypt part of the Nile River. The ranges and average activity concentrations of the detected radionuclides 226Ra (238U), 232Th, and 40K were 3.82–34.94 (16.3), 2.88–30.10 (12.9), and 112.31–312.98 (200.21) Bq/kg, respectively, during 2007 according to El-Gamal and his group. Also, their ranges and concentrations were 13–42 (29), 10–67 (45), and 74–139 (123) Bq/kg, respectively, during 2012 according to El-Taher and Abbady and 7–188 (50.6), 8–117 (41.3), and 47–412 (242.8) Bq/kg, respectively, during 2013 according to Issa and his group. El-Gamal and his group detected the range of the total absorbed dose rates during 2007 from 12.71 ± 0.96 to 38.17 ± 1.55 nGy/h with average 24.17 ± 7.3 nGy/h.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coastal Research Institute, National Water Research Center, 15, El-Pharaana Street, El-Shallalat, 21514, Alexandria, Egypt

    Ayman A. El-Gamal

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  1. Ayman A. El-Gamal
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Correspondence to Ayman A. El-Gamal .

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  1. Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University , Zagazig, Egypt

    Abdelazim M. Negm

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El-Gamal, A.A. (2016). Distribution of Natural Radioactivity in the Egyptian Part of the Nile River from Aswan to El-Minia. In: Negm, A. (eds) The Nile River. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 56. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2016_94

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