Author(s)

Bashayer M. Al-Zahrani^1*, Haifa S. Alqannas², Safia H. Hamidalddin²

¹Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia.
²Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Igneous and sedimentary rocks contain an amount of natural radioactivity (NORM). U-238, Th-232 and their decay products, and K-40 are important sources of gamma-radiation. Knowledge of the radionuclide content of rocks is necessary to estimate the exposure of the population to the radiation. Many types of rocks are used in building and industries, thus the radiation detection is important, it provides a baseline map of levels of the radioactivity in the study region. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides (U-238 (Ra-226), Th-232 and K-40) and the fallout nuclide (Cs-137) (if found) in thirty samples of igneous and sedimentary rocks of Al-Atawilah (Al-Baha). The samples were collected and prepared during 2018/2019, and analyzed with a good experimental instrument (High energy resolution γ-ray spectroscopy with HPGe detector), also these rock samples were analyzed with X-ray fluorescence to subdivided these rocks based on the major oxides proportions contained of each sample. The mean activity concentrations of naturally radionuclides were found in the igneous rock samples varied depending on the type of the igneous rock. For sedimentary rock samples, the activity concentrations were found high for quartz sandstone sample, which may be due to its high proportion of SiO₂ and K₂O. The estimated mean values of absorbed dose rate are within the permissible limit value. The findings indicate high dose level values in granite (rhyolite) and most of diorite (andesite) igneous rock samples while gabbro (basalt) igneous rock samples (except for one sample) record low levels of dose rate. All sedimentary rock samples have low dose rate (except for the quartz sand-stone sample).

Classification of Igneous and Sedimentary Rocks, X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy, Activity Concentration, Absorbed Dose Rate

Al-Zahrani, B. , Alqannas, H. and Hamidalddin, S. (2020) Apply X-Ray Fluorescence and γ-Ray Spectroscopy to Analyze Igneous and Sedimentary Environmental Samples of Al-Atawilah (Al-Baha), Saudi Arabia. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 8, 139-149. doi: 10.4236/gep.2020.811008.