Measurements of natural radionuclides in soil samples from Upper Egypt

This paper presents the results of natural radioactivity measured for the soil of Qena using gamma-ray spectrometry at ZSR, Hanover University, Germany. Soil samples of radioactive concentrations of 238U-series (234Th, 214Pb, and 214Bi), 232Th-series (228Ac, 212Pb, and 208T1) and 40K were analyzed. Three objectives were set: (1) activity levels by surface soil sampling at 0∼30 cm depth, (2) dose rates of gamma radiation, radium equivalent, index hazard, and effective dose, and (3) ambient dose rates.