Abstract
Twenty-two soil samples from six main coastal regions, Ain Sokhina, Al Zafrana, Ras Gharib, Ras Shokeir, Gebel El Zeit and Hurghada (all lie along the Western Coast of the Gulf of Suez) were collected and investigated. The specific activity concentrations of the naturally occurring radionuclides of U-238, Th-232 and K-40 as well as the anthropogenic radionuclide of Cs-137 in the samples were determined using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry. The average specific activities (range) of natural radionuclides in all samples are 9.9 +/- 0.8(2.25-30.58) Bq kg(-1) for Ra-226, 6.6 +/- 0.9 (1.18-24.37) Bq kg(-1) for Th-232 and 172.15 +/- 5.4 (5.4-587.3) Bq kg(-1) for K-40. For Cs-137, the specific activity concentration results in most of the soil samples were below detection limits. Moreover, the radiation hazard parameters such as, absorbed dose rate, radium equivalent activity and external hazard index are also calculated.