RADIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF BEACH SAND USED FOR CLIMATOTHERAPY FROM SAFAGA, EGYPT.
June 28th, 2008 | by admin |RADIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF BEACH SAND USED FOR CLIMATOTHERAPY FROM SAFAGA, EGYPT.
As a part of national survey to evaluate natural radioactivity in the environment, concentration levels of radioactivity were analysed for sand samples from Safaga, Egypt, which is an ideal area for climatotherapy of psoriasis. Gamma dose rates of three beaches in Safaga were measured. The values ranged from 195.1 to 210.7 nGy h(-1). The activity concentrations (Bq kg(-1)) of radionuclides (238)U series, (232)Th series and (40)K in three different sand profiles (0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-25 and 25 - 40 cm) were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry. The annual effective doses were 259 microSv y(-1) for Minveila, 255 microSv y(-1) for Ganet Safaga and 239 microSv y(-1) for Masab El-Ghazel beaches. The dose rates, radium equivalent activities and external hazard indices were evaluated and compared with the international data. These results may contribute to the determination of absorbed dose rate reference levels in Red Sea Coast at Safaga city.
Uosif MA, El-Taher A, Abbady AG.
Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, (Assuit branch), Egypt.