Evaluation of Natural Radioactivity and Risk Assessment of Radon in Surface Soils from Gold Mining Areas

Document Type : Original Article

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Women Faculty- Ain Shams University

Abstract

Measurements of natural radioactivity in surface soils from a gold mining area were performed by using aHPGe detector with a specially designed shield. Soil samples were collected from Um Garaiate mine in Southeastern area of Egypt and Mahd Ad-Dahab mine in Western of Al-Madina Al- Munawara area in Saudi Arabia. The obtained results of uranium and thorium series as well as potassium (40K) were discussed. Radiological hazard indices in the gold mining area were found not to exceed to the permissible limits.
The Pearson correlation has shown a strong correlation between all radiological hazard indices with 226Ra and 238U while a quite good correlation was obtained with 232Th due to the fact that 238U and 232Th series are associated together in the natural and a negative correlation is with 40K, as this isotope not decayed from 238U and 232Th series.
The solid state nuclear track detector SSNTD (CR-39) were also used to measure the radon concentration, as well as the annual absorbed dose DRn, equivalent dose and effective dose to lungs. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the mining activity at um-Garaiate in Egypt and Mahd Ad-Dahab in Saudi Arabia, respectively, poses no significant radionuclide hazard to the miners and the public.

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