A STUDY OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVE HAZARDS IN METOUBAS AREA, NILE DELTA COAST, EGYPT: ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION

The Egyptian mineral sand deposits are beach placer deposits which involve enormous quantities of
potentially economic heavy minerals. These minerals occur in variable proportions, mixed with the beach of
the Mediterranean Sea of Egypt along a stretch of about 400 km, extending from Rafah eastward to Abu Qir
westwards. In addition, these contain different concentrations of radioactive minerals that are considered
as raw materials for nuclear energy use. In other hand, the radioactive hazard is mainly attributed to the
occurrences of radioactive minerals such as monazite and zircon that host uranium and thorium minerals in
the beach black sand deposits.
The present study introduced a regime of methods to allow the correct assessment of the radioactive
hazards arising from the radioactive mineral content in the beach sand of Metoubas area at the northern
cost of Nile Delta of Egypt. Also the studies give recommendations to be applied on the site or area before,
during and after the implementation of any constructions in order to satisfy the radioactive safety conditions
suggested by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Therefore, this study was conducted as a
case study on the northern cost of Egypt.
The ground spectrometry has been used to measure the radioactivity. In addition, samples of
beach sediments from Metoubas area were collected in order to measure radioactive concentrations
of 226Ra, 232Th, 238U and 40K by gamma spectrometry carried out in NMA laboratories. The exposure
dose rates assessed are determined; and estimations of the effective dose rate equivalents and health risk
assessment on humans have been determined. Results showed low levels of radioactivity in Metoubas
beach sediments of the eastern zone where as the western and central zones showed moderate radioactivity.
The principal radiation risks are gamma radiation, essentially from radium; windblown radioactive dust
dispersal and radon gas and its radioactive progeny, which are known to cause lung cancer.
It also reveals that the dose rates sharply decrease towards the southeastern zone. In addition, the
exploration results obviously demonstrate that the mineral concentration in the beach sediments of the
site is increasing due west of limited mineralization which occurs in this part. This part of resource in site
area can be scarped to be utilized later in any future exploration plans conducted in the Abu Khashaba-
Metoubas mineral zone.
Furthermore, the obtained data set could be used as background levels for future research applications
and development of environmental regulatory frameworks along the northern coast.