Natural radiological characterization at the Gabal El Seila region (Egypt)

Highlights: • Natural radioactivity characterization of Gabal El Seila region - Egypt, was carried out. • Radiological hazard indexes were computed to evaluate the human risk assessment. • ²³²Th/²³⁸U ratio showed 20% higher and 80% lower values than worldwide average value. • No significant natural radiation hazard comes from the region, lower than recommended levels. Stream sediment is a useful raw material used for building construction, mostly used in the desert parts of the world. Such sediment is a Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), and, hence, it requires a radiological characterization to be used. This work aims to study the natural radioactivity in fifty points distributed in surface of stream sediments in the area of Gabal El Seila region, south-eastern desert of Egypt, since there is a lack of information about the radioactivity levels of the sediment samples from such recent growing interest area. The activity concentration of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴ K natural radionuclides using a portable RS-230 γ-ray spectrometer were determined. Mean values are 38.51 ± 10.83, 33.35 ± 8.82, 659.18 ± 110.87 Bq/kg for ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ⁴ K respectively. Radiological hazard indexes were computed and compared with the UNSCEAR and other worldwide ranges. All the results are statistically presented and discussed. They show that no significant radiation hazard coming from the studied area, with the most values lower than international recommended limits. The achievements of the present study fall within the measurements of natural environmental radiation in an unexplored area of great interest being a desert. The obtained results can be used as database for future research, and as tool for radiological awareness in the use of sediments as raw material.