Monitoring radioactive contamination in food, water sediments and other environmental samples in Egypt. Final report for the period 1 October 1992 - 31 July 1996

摘要

A detailed survey for radioactivity content was carried out in the following materials: (1) Raw (from quarries) and finished (e.g., bricks, cement, ceramic tiles) building materials originating in central Egypt; (2) soils and plants (particularly cattle fodder) in upper Egypt, including soil to plant transfer factors; (3) water, bottom sediments and shore sediments from Lake Nasser and its immediate surroundings; (4) water, fish, bottom and shore sediments from the Lake Quaran region; (5) soil, plant, drinking water, bottom and shore sediments from the Sinai Peninsula. The concentrations of the following radionuclides were measured: K-40, Cs-137, Ra-226, Th-232 and U-238. Samples were sealed in Marinelli beakers for 4 weeks to allow complete ingrowth of Rn-222 and daughters. High resolution gamma-ray spectrometry was used to measure K-40 and Cs-137 directly and Ra-226, Th-232 and U-238 indirectly by means of daughter radioactivities. In addition, uranium measurements were also made after chemical decomposition of selected samples by laser fluorimetry and by alpha spectrometry techniques. The results were used for establishing a database of baseline radioactivity levels, for evaluating average doses to the population, for comparison with similar materials from other countries and for determining soil to plant transfer factors which can be used to estimate internal doses to the population. (author). Refs, figs, tabs. (Atomindex citation 28:030359)