Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of radiation risk from waste generated from mining and remediation process of granite ore

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study aims to assess natural radioactivity and its radiological hazards and dose parameters in granite waste samples. These wastes arise through uranium chemical leaching, then they were scrutinized by gamma ray spectrometry (HPGe detector) the concentration of U-238 samples ranged between (556 and 1479) Bq/kg, Th-232 ranged between (18 and 690) Bq/kg, Ra-226 samples ranged between (911and 2269) Bq/kg and K-40 ranged between (461 and 675) Bq/kg. Radon daughter and airborne dust are safe. The annual effective dose equivalent was 0.2 mSv/y. In conclusion we recommended reusing these waste in paving roads in open places.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. IAEA (2013) Measurement and calculation of radon releases from NORM residues, Technical Reports Series No. 474. International Atomic Energy Agancy, Vienna, Austria

  2. IAEA (2015) Protection of the public against exposure indoors due to radon and other natural sources of radiation, IAEA safety standrard series No. SSG-32. International Atomic Energy Agency, Austria, Vienna

  3. Sethy NK, Jha VN, Sutar AK (2014) Assessment of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the surface soil of uranium mining area of Jharkhand, India. J Geochem Explor 142:29–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2013.11.009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Nagasaki S, Nakayama S (2015) Radioactive waste engineering and management. Springer, Tokyo

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. IAEA. (2018) Regulatory Control of Radioactive Discharge To The Environment general safety guide No. GSG-9. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna

  6. Mahmoud KF, Kamal HM, Shehata MR, Hosny WM, Mohamed Mohamed Omar HA (2020) Leaching kinetics of uranium from Playa deposits at Atmur El-Kibeish area, South Western Desert Egypt. Int J Environ Anal Chem. https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2020.1849650

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Khawassek M (2016) Kinetics of leaching process using sulfuric acid for sella Uranium ore material, south eastern desert Egypt. Int J Nuclear Energy Sci Eng 6:62–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. IAEA. (2020) Occupational Radiation Protection in the Uranium Mining and Processing Industry, safety reports series No. 100. International Atomic Energy Agency, Austria, Vienna

  9. IAEA. (2003) Extent of environmental contamination by naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) and technological options mitigation, Technical Report Series No. 419. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna

  10. Mubarak F et al (2017) Radiological investigation of high background radiation Areas. Sci Rep. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15201-2

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Haggag EA (2013) Kinetics of leaching process of Uranium from EL-Missikat shear zone Eastern Desert Egypt. J Basic Environ Sci 1:65–75

    Google Scholar 

  12. UNSCEAR (2000) Sources and effects of ionizing radiation, united nations scientific committee on the effects of atomic radiation, annex B: exposures from natural radiation sources, vol I. United Nations Publications, New York

    Google Scholar 

  13. IAEA (1976) Manual on Radiological Safety in Uranium and Thorium Mines and Mills, safety series, vol 43. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  14. Essa AM (2016) Occupational radiation dose estimation over radioactive waste of phosphoric acid purification and ore products projects. Phosphor Acid Purificat J Basic Environ Sci 3:74–84

    Google Scholar 

  15. ICRP (1986) Radiation Protection of Workers in Mines. ICRP Publication 47. Ann. ICRP 16.

  16. IAEA (2004) Radiation Protection against Radon in Workplaces other than Mines, Safety Reports Series, vol 33. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  17. Beck.H.L.(1972)The physics of environmental radiation fields. Natural radiation environment"a II,CONF-720802: p2- Proceeding of the second International Symposium on the Natural radiation Environment

  18. Kumar AA, Kumar S, Singh J, Singh P, Bajwa BS (2017) Assessment of natural radioactivity levels and associated dose rates in soil samples from historical city Panipat, India. J Radiat Res Appl Sci 10(3):283–288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2017.05.006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Krieger R (1981) Radioactivity of construction materials. Betonwerk Fertigteil-Technol 47:468–446

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Beretka J, Matthew PJ (1985) Natural radioactivity of australian building materials industrial waste and byproducts. Health Phys 48:87–95

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Cottens. E. (1990) Actions against radon at the international level". In: Proceedings of the Symposium on SRBII, Journee Radon, Royal Society of Engineers and Industrials of Belgium, Brussels

  22. Abdelbary HM, Elsofany EA, Mohamed YT et al (2019) Characterization and radiological impacts assessment of scale TENORM waste produced from oil and natural gas production in Egypt. Environ SciPollut Res 26:30836–30846. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06183-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Senthilkumar RD, Narayanaswamy R (2016) Assessment of radiological hazards in the industrial effluent disposed soil with statistical analyses. J Radiat Res Appl Sci 9(4):449–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2016.07.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. IAEA (1996) International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources, Safety Series, vol 115. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  25. MaoL DT et al (2014) Preliminary analysis of polonium-210 contamination for China LEAd-based research reactor. Prog Nucl Energy 70:39–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2013.07.009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Panigrahi DC et al (2018) Assessment to Rn-222 and gamma exposure of the miners in Narwaphar underground uranium mine, India. Radiat Phys Chem 151:225–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2018.06.042

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. ICRP (1993) Protection Against Radon-222 at Home and at Work. ICRP Publication 65. Ann. ICRP 23 (2)

  28. Morsi T, Hegazy R, Badawy W (2017) Radiological impact assessment to the environment due to waste from disposal of porcelain. Int J Radiat Bio. https://doi.org/10.1080/09553002.2017.1287453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. EC European Commission (1999) Radiological protection principles concerning the natural radioactivity of building materials. Radiation Protection 112, Directorate General Environment. Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection, European Commission

  30. ICRP, 2013. Radiological protection in geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste. ICRP Publication 122. Ann. ICRP 42(3).

  31. UNSCEAR (2008) Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Annex B: Exposures of the Public and Workers from Various Sources of Radiation, vol I. United Nations Publications, New York

    Google Scholar 

  32. Abdel Gawad AE, Ibrahim EM (2016) Activity ratios as a tool for studying uranium mobility at El Sela shear zone, southeastern Desert. Egypt J Radioanal Nucl Chem 308:129–142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4374-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Okasha SA, Faheim AA, Monged MHE, Khattab MR, Abed NS, Salman AA (2020) Radiochemical technique as a tool for determination and characterisation of El Sela ore grade uranium deposits. Int J Environ Anal Chem. https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2020.1863388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Mahmoud SAEA, Abdellah WM, Abu Khoziem HA (2018) Mineralogy, geochemistry and leaching characteristics of the high-grade Th-U-Y zone of altered syenite at El Garra El Hamra, Southwestern Desert Egypt. Min Metall Explor 35:230–240. https://doi.org/10.19150/mmp.8600

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Zakia SA, Rashad MM, Mohamed SA, EL Sheikh EM, Mira HE, Abd el Wahab GM (2020) Kinetics of uranium leaching process using sulfuric acid for WadiNasib ore, South western Sinai Egypt. Aswan Univ J Environ Stud (AUJES) 1(2):171–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Pillai GS, Jeevarenuka K, Hameed PS (2017) Radioactivity in building materials of PuduKkottai geological region, Tamil Nadu. India Earth Syst Environ 1:4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-017-0005-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Ishmah SN, Permana MD, Firdaus ML, Eddy DR (2020) Extraction of silica from bengkulu beach sand using alkali fusion method. J Sci Educ 4(2):1–5. https://doi.org/10.33369/pendipa.4.2.1-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), Egypt, Grant ASRT is the 2nd affiliation of this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

    A. M. Essa, Medhat. W. Shafaa & Mohammed. S. El‑Nagdy

  2. Radiological Censorship Management, Nuclear Materials Authority, P.O. Box 530, ElMaadi, Cairo, Egypt

    A. M. Essa, A. M. Daher & Amal. S. Nasr

Authors
  1. A. M. Essa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. M. Daher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amal. S. Nasr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Medhat. W. Shafaa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mohammed. S. El‑Nagdy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. M. Essa.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Essa, A.M., Daher, A.M., Nasr, A.S. et al. Assessment of radiation risk from waste generated from mining and remediation process of granite ore. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 329, 1139–1148 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-07864-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-07864-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation