Effective radiation doses from natural sources at Seila area South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Fifty one locations were chosen at Seila area, South Eastern Desert, Egypt to evaluate the public effective doses due to the exposure to the natural sources of radiation at this area. These locations were distributed over these sites called the Passage and the Wadi. The average value of the activity concentration of the terrestrial radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K was found to be 41.68, 28.51 and 567.57 Bq kg−1 at the Passage and 37.34, 35.2 and 696.43 Bq kg−1 at the Wadi, respectively.The public at Seila area receive an annual effective dose 0.1 mSv due to the exposure to the gamma component of the cosmic rays while they receive an annual effective dose of 0.01 mSv from the gamma rays emitted from the radon and thoron decay products in the air at the studied area.The public at the studied area receive an average value of the external effective dose of 0.14 mSv y−1 and an average value of the internal effective dose due to the inhalation of the radon and thoron gases is 0.088 mSv y−1 outdoors. The average value of the total annual effective dose due to the terrestrial radioactivity at Seila area was obtained to be 0.225 mSv which is safe for the activities of El Bisharya tribe at the studied area.