title: Factors affecting the distribution of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in the coastal Burullus Lake.
abstract: In the present study, measurements of naturally occurring radioactive materials and (137)Cs activity in sediment were conducted for locations covering the entire Burullus Lake in order to gather information about radionuclides mobility and distribution. Low-background γ-spectrometry was employed to determine the activity concentrations of water and sediment samples. The activity concentrations of (226)Ra and (232)Th are close to uniform distribution in the lake environment. Among the different physical and chemical characteristics measured for water and sediment, only salinity and total organic matter content have the potential to affect the mobility of (137)Cs and (40)K. The results suggest that these two radionuclides are attached to different mobile particulates. Increasing salinity tends to strengthen the adsorption of (137)Cs and solubilization of (40)K in sediment. On the other hand, sediment with high organic matter content traps (137)Cs and (40)K associated particulates to bottom sediment.
authors.affiliation: Hot Laboratories Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: El-Reefy
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt; Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Al-Hawiya, Taif 21974, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: hussein_badran@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Badran
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Al-Hawiya, Taif 21974, Saudi Arabia; Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sharshar
authors.affiliation: Hot Laboratories Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hilal
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elnimr
mesh_terms: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D060106:Lakes / Q000737:chemistry; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D011868:Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium; D013910:Thorium; D011883:Radium
keywords: Burullus Lake; Cesium-137; Potassium-40; Radium-226; Sediment; Thorium-232