Assessment of the Heavy Metals and Natural Radioactivity in Phosphate Mines and Occupational Health Effects at Some Egyptian Regions

Abstract

In this work, the specific activities of natural radionuclides, namely 238 U series, 232 Th series and 40 K, have been measured in collected sedimentary phosphate deposits samples from El-Hamraween, El-Quser and Safaga phosphate mines in Egypt. HPGe γ -spectrometry was used. This study was undertaken to estimate the radiation hazard indices in phosphate mining at the studied mines on their occupational workers, to establish correlation relationships between the some measured heavy metals such as As, Cd and Pb in blood workers and their concentration in phosphate rock ores and to determinate the biomarkers in the blood workers such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The phosphate mine sample of El-Hamrawein has the lowest activity concentration of 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K in comparison to the phosphate mine samples of El-Quseir and Safaga (El-Hamrawein < El-Quseir < Safaga). The activity concentrations for the radionuclide’s considerably were fluctuated; for 226 Ra activity concentrations varied from 222.4 to 255.8 Bq· kg - 1 , 122.4 to 188.3 Bq · kg - 1 and 115.4 to 165.8 Bq · kg - 1 for Safaga, El-Quseir and El-Hamrawein, respectively. For 232 Th activity concentrations varied from 135.6 to 212.3 Bq · kg - 1 , 112.8 to 167.4 Bq · kg - 1 and 132.8 to 188.6 Bq · kg - 1 for Safaga, El-Quseir and El-Hamrawein, respectively. For 40 K activity concentrations varied from 225.2 to 312.8 Bq · kg - 1 , 168.7 to 268.9 Bq · kg - 1 and 95.2 to 155.8 Bq · kg - 1 for Safaga, El-Quseir and El-Hamrawein, respectively. The workers of old ages have higher concentration of the investigated heavy metals than those of young ages. There is a good relation between the concentration of the investigated metals in phosphate mine samples and their concentration in blood of the occupational workers in these mines.