Utilization of INAA Technique for Studying the Negative Impact of Human Activities on Coral Reefs in the Quseir harbour area

Abstract

Coral reef samples collected from the Egyptian Red Sea coast’s Quseir harbour were analysed using the INAA technique for qualitative and quantitative analysis. The concentration of heavy metals, rare earth elements, and elemental contents were measured in coral reefs. The samples were assembled with their standards and irradiated in Egypt’s Second Research Reactor at the same time (ETRR-2). The gamma-ray spectra of an HPGe detector with a 100 percent relative efficiency were studied. The elements determined are: Al, Ti, Na, K, Mg, V, Cl, Ca, Mn, Cr, As, Co, Zn, Fe, Br, Tb, Zr, Hf, Sb, Ba, Sc, Nd, La, Sm, Ce, Eu, Yb, Ta, U, and Th. The present work is worried about the use of INAA to attain an accurate knowledge about the elemental content in coral reef samples in the Quseir harbour area and revealing potential environmental indicators for heavy metals contamination as well as pollution hot spot throughout this area to assess the public health for workers, tourists, and the surrounding population.