Assessment of elemental and NROM/TENORM hazard potential from non-nuclear industries in North Sinai, Egypt.
Environ Monit Assess
; 187(9): 583, 2015 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26297416
ABSTRACT
Non-nuclear industries use raw materials containing significant levels of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). The processing of these materials may expose workers engaged in or even people living near such sites to technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material (TENORM) above the natural background. Inductively coupled plasma and gamma ray spectrometry have been used to determine major and trace elements and radionuclide concentrations in various samples, respectively, in order to investigate the environmental impact of coal mining and cement plant in North Sinai, Egypt. Generally, very little attention was directed to the large volumes of waste generated by either type of industrial activities. Different samples were analyzed including various raw materials, coal, charcoal, Portland and white cement, sludge, and wastes. Coal mine and cement plant workers dealing with waste and kaolin, respectively, are subjected to a relatively high annual effective dose. One of the important finding is the enhancement of all measured elements and radionuclides in the sludge found in coal mine. It may pose an environmental threat because of its large volume and its use as combustion material. The mine environment may have constituted Al, Fe, Cr, and V pollution source for the local area. Higher concentration of Al, Fe, Mn, B, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Sr, V, and TENORM were found in Portland cement and Zn in white cement. Coal has higher concentrations of Al, Fe, B, Co, Cr, and V as well as (226)Ra and (232)Th. The compiled results from the present study and different worldwide investigations demonstrate the obvious unrealistic ranges normally used for (226)Ra and (232)Th activity concentrations in coal and provided ranges for coal, Portland and white cement, gypsum, and limestone.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Radioactive Pollutants
/
Radioisotopes
/
Coal Mining
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Environ Monit Assess
Journal subject:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Year:
2015
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: