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Mineralogical and Radiological Micro-Analysis of Raw Sands and Their Processed By-Products for Land Reclamation Applications

Received: 3 February 2017     Accepted: 23 February 2017     Published: 15 March 2017
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Abstract

In this study, forty samples of different types of raw sands, magnetite, green silicate and processed mixture of ilmenite, magnetite and green silicates have been mineralogical and radiometrically investigated after preparation. Determination of the mineral contents, radioactivity levels and their corresponding environmental impacts was also carried out. The radioactivity: 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K, of these samples are of naturally occurring origin. The EDX analysis was applied for identification of trace elements in the samples. The microscopic investigations of the samples indicate that the black sand samples are economically rich in heavy minerals such as ilmenite, magnetite, zircon, rutile and monazite; in addition to leucoxene. While the processed and unprocessed green silicate contain ilmenite, zircon, sphene, monazite and calamine with quartz and other silicate minerals. The highest values of activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K were observed in black sand, processed and unprocessed green silicates samples. These high radioactivities are attributed to the presence of zircon, monazite and sphene. The radiological hazard parameters; the absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose equivalent AEDE, radium equivalent activity Raeq, external hazard index Hex, internal hazard index Hin and gamma activity concentration index Iγ of the studied samples were estimated. The results obtained were tabulated, evaluated, interpreted and discussed.

Published in Nuclear Science (Volume 2, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13
Page(s) 44-53
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Mineralogical, Radioactivity Levels, Radiological Hazards Assessment, Raw Sand, Black Sand, Green Silicate, Environmental Impact, Land Reclamation

References
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    Osama A. M. Ebyan, Mahmoud R Khattab, Mohamed A. E. Abdel-Rahman. (2017). Mineralogical and Radiological Micro-Analysis of Raw Sands and Their Processed By-Products for Land Reclamation Applications. Nuclear Science, 2(2), 44-53. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13

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    Osama A. M. Ebyan; Mahmoud R Khattab; Mohamed A. E. Abdel-Rahman. Mineralogical and Radiological Micro-Analysis of Raw Sands and Their Processed By-Products for Land Reclamation Applications. Nucl. Sci. 2017, 2(2), 44-53. doi: 10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13

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    AMA Style

    Osama A. M. Ebyan, Mahmoud R Khattab, Mohamed A. E. Abdel-Rahman. Mineralogical and Radiological Micro-Analysis of Raw Sands and Their Processed By-Products for Land Reclamation Applications. Nucl Sci. 2017;2(2):44-53. doi: 10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13,
      author = {Osama A. M. Ebyan and Mahmoud R Khattab and Mohamed A. E. Abdel-Rahman},
      title = {Mineralogical and Radiological Micro-Analysis of Raw Sands and Their Processed By-Products for Land Reclamation Applications},
      journal = {Nuclear Science},
      volume = {2},
      number = {2},
      pages = {44-53},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ns.20170202.13},
      abstract = {In this study, forty samples of different types of raw sands, magnetite, green silicate and processed mixture of ilmenite, magnetite and green silicates have been mineralogical and radiometrically investigated after preparation. Determination of the mineral contents, radioactivity levels and their corresponding environmental impacts was also carried out. The radioactivity: 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K, of these samples are of naturally occurring origin. The EDX analysis was applied for identification of trace elements in the samples. The microscopic investigations of the samples indicate that the black sand samples are economically rich in heavy minerals such as ilmenite, magnetite, zircon, rutile and monazite; in addition to leucoxene. While the processed and unprocessed green silicate contain ilmenite, zircon, sphene, monazite and calamine with quartz and other silicate minerals. The highest values of activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K were observed in black sand, processed and unprocessed green silicates samples. These high radioactivities are attributed to the presence of zircon, monazite and sphene. The radiological hazard parameters; the absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose equivalent AEDE, radium equivalent activity Raeq, external hazard index Hex, internal hazard index Hin and gamma activity concentration index Iγ of the studied samples were estimated. The results obtained were tabulated, evaluated, interpreted and discussed.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Mineralogical and Radiological Micro-Analysis of Raw Sands and Their Processed By-Products for Land Reclamation Applications
    AU  - Osama A. M. Ebyan
    AU  - Mahmoud R Khattab
    AU  - Mohamed A. E. Abdel-Rahman
    Y1  - 2017/03/15
    PY  - 2017
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13
    T2  - Nuclear Science
    JF  - Nuclear Science
    JO  - Nuclear Science
    SP  - 44
    EP  - 53
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2640-4346
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ns.20170202.13
    AB  - In this study, forty samples of different types of raw sands, magnetite, green silicate and processed mixture of ilmenite, magnetite and green silicates have been mineralogical and radiometrically investigated after preparation. Determination of the mineral contents, radioactivity levels and their corresponding environmental impacts was also carried out. The radioactivity: 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K, of these samples are of naturally occurring origin. The EDX analysis was applied for identification of trace elements in the samples. The microscopic investigations of the samples indicate that the black sand samples are economically rich in heavy minerals such as ilmenite, magnetite, zircon, rutile and monazite; in addition to leucoxene. While the processed and unprocessed green silicate contain ilmenite, zircon, sphene, monazite and calamine with quartz and other silicate minerals. The highest values of activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K were observed in black sand, processed and unprocessed green silicates samples. These high radioactivities are attributed to the presence of zircon, monazite and sphene. The radiological hazard parameters; the absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose equivalent AEDE, radium equivalent activity Raeq, external hazard index Hex, internal hazard index Hin and gamma activity concentration index Iγ of the studied samples were estimated. The results obtained were tabulated, evaluated, interpreted and discussed.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Nuclear Materials Authority (NMA), El-Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

  • Nuclear Materials Authority (NMA), El-Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

  • Nuclear Engineering Department, Military Technical College, Kobry El-Kobba, Cairo, Egypt

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