A comparative study of the radiological hazard in sediments samples from drinking water purification plants supplied from different sources

Abstract

The natural radiation level has been determined for 135 sediment samples from forty-six drinking water purification plants supplied from different sources (Nile River, Ibrahimia Canal and Bahr Yousif Canal) aiming to evaluate the radiation hazard. The concentration of natural radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) has been investigated by using gamma spectrometry (NaI (Tl) 3″ × 3″) detector. The results showed that the concentrations of average activity in the sediment samples collected from Nile River, Ibrahimia Canal and Bahr Yousif Canal are (29 ± 2, 30 ± 2 and 240 ± 8 Bq kg−1), (47 ± 3, 46 ± 8 and 258 ± 12 Bq kg−1) and (28 ± 2, 27 ± 3 and 219 ± 18 Bq kg−1) for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, respectively. The distributions of average activity concentrations of samples under investigation are within the world values although some extreme values have been determined. Radiological hazard effects such as: absorbed dose rate (D), outdoor and indoor annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), radium equivalent activities (Raeq), hazard indices (Hex and Hin), gamma index (Iγ), excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) and annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) for the corresponding samples were also estimated.

Keywords

• Drinking water purification plants
• Sediment
• Radiological hazard indices