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278934

RADIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF EL SELA-QASH AMER GRANITES, SOUTH EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Article

Last updated: 04 Jan 2025

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Abstract

El Sela area is mainly covered by ophiolitic mélange (Sul Hamed), biotite granite, two-mica granite
(El Sela), muscovite granites (Qash Amer), and cross cut by microgranite dolerite and bostonite dikes as
well as quartz and japser veins. These granitic rocks are hydrothermally altered, especially around El Sela
ENE-WSW shear zone, that causing hydrothermal alterations accompanied by radioactive mineralization.
These rocks are mainly composed of alkali feldspar, quartz, muscovite, and biotite with zircon, fluorite,
apatite and iron oxides as an accessory minerals. The radioactive minerals are represented by uranophane,
autunite, meta-autunite and phurcalite which are restricted in the highly sheared microgranite, dolerite
dikes as well as jasper veins. Uranium contents (eU) range from 10.1 to 17.7 ppm at Qash Amer with their
thorium contents (eTh) vary from 5.8 to 22.7 ppm. El Sela granites have uranium contents (eU) range from
6.4 to 19.7 ppm with equivalent thorium content (eTh) range between 14.0 and 44.9 ppm. The eU-eTh, (eU/
eTh)-eU and eU-[eU+(eTh X 3.5)] diagrams show depletion of uranium for both the Qash Amer and El Sela
granitic samples, suggesting that uranium may be leached out of the original rock towards the ENE-WSW
and NNW-SSE shear zones. The migrated uranium (Um) amount was calculated and indicated as either
migration out or migration in at Qash Amer and El Sela granites, mostly to the shear zone cutting through
the area. Absorbed Dose Rate (D), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), radium equivalent activity
(Raeq), external (Hex) and internal (Hin) hazard index, in addition to activity gamma index (Iγ) caused by
gamma emitter natural radionuclide were determined from the obtained values of 238U, 232Th and 40K. Most
of the studied samples have radiological parameters values higher than the international recommended
values suggesting that El Sela and Qash Amer granitic rocks are hazardous and not recommended for use
as ornamental stones with respect to workers and human beings.

DOI

10.21608/nssj.2023.129412.1006

Keywords

Qash Amer, El Sela, granites, Uranium, environmental impacts

Authors

First Name

Sameh

Last Name

Tawfik

MiddleName

Zakaria

Affiliation

Petrological Studies, Research Division, Nuclear Materials Authority.

Email

samehzakaria@outlook.com

City

Tanta

Orcid

0000-0001-9850-9056

First Name

Mohamed

Last Name

Shaheen

MiddleName

Ahmed

Affiliation

Ground exploration Department, Exploration Division, Nuclear Materials Authority.

Email

mamshaheen2002@yahoo.com

City

Alexandria

Orcid

-

First Name

Mostafa

Last Name

Elsetouhi

MiddleName

Saad

Affiliation

Geochemical Exploration, Research Division, Nuclear Materials Authority.

Email

mostafa24264@hotmail.com

City

Cairo

Orcid

-

Volume

11

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

38771

Issue Date

2022-12-01

Receive Date

2022-03-24

Publish Date

2022-12-01

Page Start

1

Page End

23

Print ISSN

2314-5609

Link

https://nssj.journals.ekb.eg/article_278934.html

Detail API

https://nssj.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=278934

Order

278,934

Type

Original Article

Type Code

798

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Nuclear Sciences Scientific Journal

Publication Link

https://nssj.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

RADIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF EL SELA-QASH AMER GRANITES, SOUTH EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Details

Type

Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023