Radiological implication of the granitoid rocks and their associated jasperoid veins, El-Missikat area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

ABSTRACT

Older and younger granites mainly represent gable El-Missikat in addition to red and black jasperoid veins. The studied granitic rocks and silica veins show wide variation in their Uranium, Thorium, Radium and potassium contents. The current study aims to calculate radiological hazard parameters for samples of the investigated granites and red and black jasperoid veins from Gable El-Missikat in the central-eastern desert of Egypt. Eighty-five samples were collected and measured using gamma-ray spectrometer with NaI(Tl) detector. Derivation of the radiological hazard indices caused by gamma-emitting natural radionuclide were determined from the obtained values of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K. The estimated average value of red and black jasperoid veins of radium equivalent in the present work are higher than that of the recommended maximum value of the World. Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk of granitic rocks ranges from 109.2 to 1512.4 and average reach of about 633.0, while red and black jasperoid veins range from 144.7 to 13,802.3 with average up to 3592. El- Missikat area represents an important radioactive mineralised area in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, so that all samples are exceeding the world permissible safe criteria and consider a risk source for human environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Radiological implications
• granites
• uranium-thorium
• El-Missikat area-Egypt

Acknowledegments

This publication was carried out as part of the program of supporting the publication activity of the Southern Federal University. Special thanks to professors at the Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University and Nuclear Materials Authority.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).