Investigations of radioactive and geotechnical aspects of a section of the Western Desert Railway in Egypt

Abstract

The aim of this research is to assess the risk of radioactivity in the sand along the high-speed railway and its surrounding areas in Egypt. The research revealed that the activity levels of radionuclides ²³²Th and ²³⁸U in sand were below the worldwide averages of 45 and 33, respectively. Despite this, the concentration of the potassium was higher than the global mean of 412 Bqkg^− 1. The ⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, and ²³⁸U concentrations were 593 ± 16, 17 ± 0.9, and 14 ± 0.5 Bqkg^− 1, respectively. Based on these results, excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), annual effective dose (AED), annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE), and the absorbed dose rate (D_air) were determined. Various field and laboratory tests were performed to assess the site selection of the high-speed railway for sustainable development, including geotechnical tests at thirty-five drill holes, the microtremor analysis using horizontal to vertical spectral ratios (HVSR) method at ten locations, and radiological measurements at thirty samples. The geotechnical investigation classified the fine-grained soil as having medium to high plasticity and the coarse-grained soil as poorly graded. The rock samples were classified as weak to strong based on their unconfined compressive strength. The related amplification of ground motion (Ao) and the resonance frequency (Fo) were used to determine the study site effects. The study found that the fundamental frequency at all points varied between 1.5 and 1.9, and the associated H/V amplitude level (Ao) ranged from 3 to 4. The relationship between the radionuclides and the relevant radiological hazard variables was examined using Multivariate statistical methods, such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and Pearson correlation. The study concluded that the sand on the high speed train route poses an insignificant hazard to the public.