Inter-comparison study of the population dose due to gamma-radiation in the coast of North Sinai between Rafah and Bir El-Abd areas.

This study compares the external dose due to the gamma-ray emitting radionuclides in various areas in North Sinai, Egypt. The whole area was divided into 10 regions. The average absorbed dose rates were evaluated for each region. It was found that Zaranik-protected area and Al-Massaid have the highest values of 72.7 and 57.2 nGy h(-1), respectively. The corresponding values of the remaining regions were <23 nGy h(-1). The mean annual effective dose equivalents for the four largest cities Rafah, El-Sheikh Zuwaied, Al-Arish and Bir El-Abd were 20.8, 18.8, 57.4 and 14.0 microSv, respectively. The results are compared with those from different areas in Egypt and in various countries.