Some radioactive-elements in the coastal sediments of the Mediterranean Sea

The radioactivities of U-234235, Th-232, K-40 and Cs-137 were measured in the coastal sediments of the western Mediterranean Sea between Alexandria and Salloum, Egypt. The recorded activities of the natural radionuclides were within the range of those measured worldwide. The highest activities of U-234235 and K-40 (166.57.7; 365.82.3 Bq kg(1) dry weight) were measured at Sidi Krir station while El-Max station recorded the highest Th-232 activity (22.70.6 Bq kg(1) dry weight) indicating that these radionuclides may accumulate in ionic and particulate forms from the drainage systems of the fertiliser, petrochemical and paper industries and from agricultural drains and also as the drifted particulates from longshore currents and accretion processes. The lowest U-234235 activities were recorded at Salloum and the lowest Th-232 and K-40 activities were recorded at El-Hammam, indicating that the accretion process is more active in the eastern Mediterranean. Salloum recorded the highest activity levels for Cs-137 (7.90.4 Bq kg(1) dry weight) showing significant increases of the artificial Cs-137 westwards that may be indicative of to the anthropogenic sources from the northern Mediterranean.