title: Characteristics of NORM in the oil industry from eastern and western deserts of Egypt.
abstract: Naturally occurring radionuclides (NORs) from the 232Th- and 238U-series, which are omnipresent in the earth's crust, can be concentrated by technical activities, particularly those involving natural resources. Although, a great deal of work has been done in the field of radiation protection and remedial action on uranium and other mines, recent concern has been devoted to the hazard arising from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in oil and gas facilities. NORM wastes associated with oil and gas operations from scale deposits, separated sludge and water at different oil fields in the eastern and western deserts were investigated. Concentrations of the uranium, thorium, and potassium (40K) series have been determined from high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Total uranium content of samples was determined using laser fluorimetry. The levels of radioactivity were mainly due to enhanced levels of dissolved radium ions. Only minute quantities of uranium and thorium were present. The disequilibrium factor for 238U/226Ra has been determined.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt. shawky.sahar@usa.net
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shawky
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amer
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nada
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: El-Maksoud
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Ibrahiem
mesh_terms: D001417:Background Radiation; D004534:Egypt; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D005470:Fluorometry; D005648:Fuel Oils; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis; D007221:Industry / Q000592:standards; D008906:Mining; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D012588:Scintillation Counting; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005648:Fuel Oils; D007220:Industrial Waste; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D011868:Radioisotopes; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium; D013910:Thorium