Assessment of the potential radiation hazards posed by Nubian sandstone, Egypt

The study found that the activity concentrations of the radionuclides ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in the sandstone are 32 ± 13, 29.6 ± 12.2, and 132.6 ± 86.4 Bq kg^-1, respectively. These values are lower than the reported worldwide limits of 33, 45, and 412 Bq kg^-1. According to the present study, the absorbed dose rate (D_air), the annual effective dose, and the excess life time cancer were all found to be below the worldwide mean. Pearson correlation, PCA, and HCA were used to analyze the data and identify patterns in the relationship between radionuclides and radiological hazards. A statistical analysis of the sandstones showed that the radioactive elements ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K are the main contributors to the radioactive risk. The study suggests that the sandstone is safe to use. The levels of radioactivity are not high enough to pose a risk to human health.