title: Natural radioactivity in farm soil and phosphate fertilizer and its environmental implications in Qena governorate, Upper Egypt.
abstract: Samples of phosphate fertilizers and farm soils, taken to a depth of up to 30 cm in cultivated land, were collected over the Qena governorate, Upper Egypt. Activity concentration of background radionuclides such as (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K of these samples were determined by gamma-ray spectrometry. The results show that these radionuclides were present in concentrations of 366+/-10.5, 66.7+/-7.3 and 4+/-2.6 Bq/kg for phosphate fertilizers. For farm soil and Nile island's soil the corresponding values were 13.7+/-7, 12.3+/-4.6, 1233+/-646 and 11.9+/-6.7, 10.5+/-6.1, 1636+/-417 Bq/kg, respectively. The radium equivalent activity (Ra(eq)), the representative level index, I(gamma r), and absorbed dose in air for all samples were calculated. The data were discussed and compared with those given in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Faculty of Science Qena, South Valley University, Egypt. nour_khalifa2000@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Nour Khalifa
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Abdel Gabar Mohamed
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: El-Arabi
mesh_terms: D004534:Egypt; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000032:analysis*; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011874:Radiometry; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D012987:Soil; D013910:Thorium; D011883:Radium