A Comparison Study of Soil Samples from Sinai Province in Egypt by Using X-Ray Diffraction and Gamma-Ray Analysis

Shadiah S. Baz^*

Physics Department, Girls Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

DOI: 10.4236/wjnst.2015.52012                

Abstract

Ten soil samples from Jabal Al Qur, Wadi Baba, and Wadi Sieh in Sinai, Egypt, were analyzed by XRD spectroscopy. The XRD spectroscopy results indicate that the major, minor and trace constituents varied from one sample to another. Samples were also analyzed by HPGe gamma spectrometer to determine the activity concentration of U-238, Th-232 series and K-40. The concentrations for ²³⁸U ranged from 57.03 to 4220.41 Bq/kg with an average 1110.75 Bq/kg, for ²³²Th, ranged from 13.55 to130.46 Bq/kg with an average 71.85 Bq/Kg. The concentrations for ⁴⁰K were in the range from 12.18 to 948.93 Bq/kg with an average value 457.09 Bq/kg. The average activity concentration values of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K, in all the collected samples were higher than the world average. The radium equivalent (R_eq), absorbed dose rate (D_R), the effective dose rate (D_eff), and hazard indices resulted due to the natural radionuclides in soil are also calculated. The Results show that the study area is not safe for human and environments.

Keywords

Sinai Soil, X-Ray Diffraction, Natural Radioactivity Concentration, Chemical Constituent, Diffract Meter

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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