Radiological Investigation of High Background Radiation Areas

In this paper, we used the Hyper-Pure Germanium (HPGe) detector to measure 30 samples which are collected from north of Nile Delta near Rosetta beach in Egypt. The activity of primordial radionuclides, such as (238)U, (235)U, (232)Th, and (40)K was estimated. Concentrations ranged between 36.5–177.4, 50–397.5 and 56.1–168.9 Bq.kg(−1) for (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K respectively. Activity concentration of (235)U and the variation in uranium isotopic ratio (235)U/(238)U was calculated. External hazard indices (H(ex)) (or radium equivalent activity Ra(eq)), activity concentration indices (I), alpha index (I(α)), absorbed outdoor gamma dose rate (D(out)), effective outdoor gamma dose rate (E(out)) and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) due to different samples are estimated. External hazard indices (H(ex)) are ranged between 0.32–2.04, radium equivalent activity (Ra(eq)) are ranged between 118.67–753.91, the activity concentration indices (I) are 0.42–2.61, and alpha index (I(α)) are 0.18–0.89. External hazard indices (H(ex)) in some samples more than unity then it exceeds the upper limit of exposure. Also, the radium equivalent activities (Ra(eq)) are higher than the exemption limits (370 Bq.kg(−1)).