Nuclear Materials Authority

The Neoproterozoic Aswan granites constitute a major post-collisional intrusive complex within the Egyptian Nubian Shield and represent one of Egypt's most significant geological, geomorphological, and cultural landscapes. Integrated remote-sensing and radiological data are used to characterize their geological, geomorphological, and environmental attributes. Four granite suites are recognized in the Aswan area: greyish-black tonalites-granodiorites, coarse pink monzogranites-syenogranites, medium- to coarse-grained High Dam granites, and fine-grained granites. These lithologies exert a strong control on regional geomorphology, with structural fabrics-dominated by N-S and NE-SW joint sets and locally developed NE-trending shear zones-governing drainage patterns, landscape evolution, quarrying potential, and the distribution of radioelements. Integrated geomorphological and remote sensing analyses demonstrate that lithology and structural framework exert primary control on the Nile's course and on the development of characteristic granite landforms, including inselbergs, exfoliation domes, joint-controlled valleys, steep canyons, and granitic island chains. PRISMA hyperspectral data further enhanced this framework by differentiating the rock units, delineating shear zones, and clearly identifying quarrying scars and associated landscape degradation. All remote-sensing interpretations were validated through detailed geological field investigations, ensuring accurate characterization of the granitic rocks and their modification by human activities. The granites show progressive differentiation from greyish-black granodiorites to coarse pink and fine-grained types, with U-Th-K enrichment and mean activities of 238U (77.23Bq/kg), 226Ra (41.93Bq/kg), 232Th (73.07Bq/kg), and 40K (1281.3Bq/kg), exceeding global averages. Radiological parameters record mean values of 131.35 nGy/h (absorbed dose), 0.16mSv/y (annual effective dose), 275.82Bq/kg (radium equivalent), hazard indices of 0.74 and 0.95, and a gamma index of 2.07. Fine-grained granites locally exceed indoor-use limits, High-Dam granites show moderate Th-K enrichment due to deformation, whereas greyish-black and most coarse pink granites (including Fila) remain within safety limits and are most suitable for quarrying. Overall, lithology and structural architecture-rather than external environmental factors-control mechanical behavior, landscape evolution, quarrying suitability, and radiological distribution across the Aswan granite province. Despite generally safe radiological levels, unregulated quarrying and rapid urban expansion have altered terrain and disrupted geomorphic integrity. These findings provide a framework for sustainable resource management, radiological safety evaluation, geomorphology-informed land-use planning, and preservation of Aswan's unique geological and cultural heritage.

Effective management of radioactive wastewater relies on advanced adsorbents capable of maintaining high selectivity in complex environments. A hierarchical SiO2–TiO2@C composite was synthesized through a microemulsion method by using Pluronic P-123. Comprehensive characterization, including SEM, HR-TEM, EDX, XRD, BET, and XPS, confirmed its ordered hexagonal mesostructure. The SiO2–TiO2@C composite exhibited a high surface area of 378 m2/g and uniform pores measuring 11.9 nm. It demonstrated high adsorption capacities of 50.2 mg/g for Cs(I) and 68 mg/g for Sr(II). The material showed good selectivity, achieving approximately 89.4 and 93.7% removal for Cs(I) and Sr(II), respectively, and retained 77.5 and 82.0% efficiency in real seawater. It also displayed excellent regenerability, maintaining about 75.5% of its capacity for Cs(I) and 84.1% for Sr(II) after nine cycles, which underscores its strong potential for practical wastewater treatment applications. The adsorption proceeds via ion exchange and surface complexation with hydroxyl groups. The carbon phase enhances the surface acidity and site availability. For Sr(II), complexation with hydrolyzed SrOH+ species is particularly effective, while Cs(I) uptake occurs primarily through ion exchange at acidic sites and selective pore entrapment.

Abstract This paper synthesizes three different types of transparent glasses by utilizing the melt-quenching process, which is essential to address the ionizing radiation issues that can cause severe damage to humans. The chemical formula of the fabricated glass series is described by xPr 6 O 11 + 20TeO 2 + 10GeO 2 + (35-x) B 2 O 3 + 35MgO, where x = 1.25, 2.5, and 3.75 mol%. In addition, we investigate the radiation shielding capabilities of synthesized glasses using a (5.08 cm × 5.08 cm) NaI (Tl) scintillation detector over an energy range for the gamma-ray, which is varied between 0.662 and 1.173 MeV. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to evaluate the performance of the radiation shielding. Besides, to further validate our experiment, we compare the experiment measurement with simulated results. The results show an excellent agreement between the measurement and simulation, which is based on linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) for the synthesized glasses across various ranges, which are given by ±3 %. The measurements depict that the LAC for synthesized glasses is raised from 0.290 ± 0.013 to 0.303 ± 0.015 cm −1 , when the Pr 2 O 3 content rises from 1.25 to 3.75 mol%, respectively.