Neutron Activation Analysis for Geochemical Characterization of Rocks from Gold Mines in Egypt
Source abstract
Abstract
The present work was carried out to determine the elemental composition of granitoid rock samples from three gold mines (Sukari, Hamash, and Um Hagalig) in the South-eastern part of Egypt and quantification of the extent of the elemental enrichment. A total of 37 samples from the mines were subjected to neutron activation analysis, and the mass fractions of the elements were measured in mg/kg. The results show a dominance of K (76.9%), Fe (11.0%), Ca (8.7%), and Na (3.1%) for Sukari mine; Na (31.2%), Ca (28.5%), K (23.1%), and Fe (9.9%) for the Hamash mine; and for the Um Hagalig mine Na (31.1%), K (22%), Ca (21.7%), and Fe (20.8%). In addition, significant mass fractions of uranium, thorium and rare earth elements were found in Hamash and Um Hagalig. The average mass fractions of U in the investigated areas are measured to be 59.7, 48.2, and 30.8 mg/kg for Hamash, Sukary, and Um Hagalig, respectively. Furthermore, the average mass fractions of Th were significant and measured to be 3905, 1673, and 7 mg/kg for Hamash, Um Hagalig, and Sukary, respectively. Multiple ratio indicators and discrimination diagrams were used to better understand the origin of the elements in the samples studied. The indicators suggest that the provenance of the elements is mainly from metavolcanic and volcanic rocks. The findings should make an important contribution to the study of ores and minerals and thus represent an important area for environmental studies.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping · Radioactivity and Radon Measurements · Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Radiation Protection and Civil Defense Department, Nuclear Research Centre, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo 13759, Egypt
Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
Nuclear Materials Authority, El-Maadi, P.O. Box 530, Cairo 11381, Egypt
Higher Institute of Engineering and Technology, New Damietta 34517, Egypt
References (49)
Show source-provided references
1. Phanerozoic orogenic lode gold deposits
2. Goldfarb, R., Baker, T., Dubé, B., Groves, D.I., Hart, C.J., and Gosselin, P. (2005). Distribution, Character and Genesis of Gold Deposits in Metamorphic Terranes, Society of Economic Geologists.10.5382/AV100.14 ↗
3. Lithochemical surveys for ore metals in arid region, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt: Using Landsat ETM+ imagery
4. Oppositely dipping thrusts and transpressional imbricate zone in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2014.06.010 ↗
5. Centamin-plc (2015). Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Estimate for the Sukari Gold Project, Egypt, Centamin PLC.
6. Centamin-plc (2020). Overrview, Centamin-plc.
7. Egypt-Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (2020). The International bid-Round no (1) for the Year 2020 for Exploration of the Gold and Associated Minerals, Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. Second Round.
8. The Sukari Gold Mine, Eastern Desert—Egypt: Structural setting, mineralogy and fluid inclusion study
9. Integrated studies to identify site-specific parameters for environmentally benign mining operations: A case study from the Sukari Gold Mine, Egypt10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141654 ↗
10. Characteristic of gold mineralization associated with granites at Hamash old gold mine, South Eastern Desert, Egypt10.1007/s12517-021-06923-9 ↗
11. The role of the granite emplacement and structural setting on the genesis of gold mineralization in Egypt10.1016/j.oregeorev.2015.04.014 ↗
12. Transpressional zones in ophiolitic mélange terranes: Potential exploration targets for gold in the South Eastern Desert, Egypt10.1016/j.gexplo.2011.07.003 ↗
13. Environmental Radioactivity of Radon and its Hazards in Hamash Gold Mine, Egypt
14. Transpressional imbricate thrust zones controlling gold mineralization in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt10.1016/j.oregeorev.2016.03.022 ↗
15. Repeated magmatic pulses in the East African Orogen in the Eastern Desert, Egypt: An old idea supported by new evidence10.1016/j.gr.2011.08.017 ↗
16. Mitwalli, M., Badway, W., Yosef, H., Salama, S., Saleh, G., and El-Farrash, A.H. (2022). Radon Measurement and Radiological Dose Assessment From Terrestrial Rocks Using Solid-State Nuclear Track Detectors. Arab J. Nucl. Sci. Appl., 1–8.10.21608/ajnsa.2022.138031.1581 ↗
17. Kardjilov, N., and Festa, G. (2017). Neutron Methods for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, Springer International Publishing.10.1007/978-3-319-33163-8 ↗
18. Neutron activation analysis in the life sciences10.1134/S1063779611020043 ↗
19. Geochemistry of sediments and surface soils from the Nile Delta and lower Nile valley studied by epithermal neutron activation analysis10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.04.004 ↗
20. Assessment of anthropogenic and geogenic impacts on marine sediments along the coastal areas of Egyptian Red Sea10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.07.034 ↗
21. Dataset of elemental compositions and pollution indices of soil and sediments: Nile River and delta -Egypt10.1016/j.dib.2019.105009 ↗
22. A review of major and trace elements in Nile River and Western Red Sea sediments: An approach of geochemistry, pollution, and associated hazards10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109595 ↗
23. Monitoring of air pollutants using plants and co-located soil-Egypt: Characteristics, pollution, and toxicity impact10.1007/s11356-021-17218-7 ↗
24. IAEA (2004). Soil Sampling for Environmental Contaminants, International Atomic Energy Agency.
25. Gaby, S.E., List, F.K., and Tehrani, R. (1990). The Geology of Egypt, Routledge. [1st ed.].
26. Ceramics of Bolgar: The First Results of Usage of Neutron Activation Analysis10.1134/S1547477119060220 ↗
27. Irradiation facility at the IBR-2 reactor for investigation of material radiation hardness10.1016/j.nimb.2014.11.024 ↗
28. Formation of reference groups for archaeological pottery using neutron activation and multivariate statistical analyses10.1111/arcm.12793 ↗
29. Multi-element atmospheric deposition in Macedonia studied by the moss biomonitoring technique10.1007/s11356-015-4787-x ↗
30. Automation of the quantitative determination of elemental content in samples using neutron activation analysis on the IBR-2 reactor at the frank laboratory for neutron physics, joint institute for nuclear research10.1134/S1547477113010056 ↗
31. R Core Team (2020). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing, R Core Team. R Foundation for Statistical Computing.
32. An analysis of variance test for normality (complete samples)10.1093/biomet/52.3-4.591 ↗
33. Dubitzky, W., Wolkenhauer, O., Cho, K.-H., and Yokota, H. (2013). Encyclopedia of Systems Biology, Springer.10.1007/978-1-4419-9863-7 ↗
34. Tukey, J.W. (1977). Exploratory Data Analysis, Addison-Wesley.
35. Normal and lognormal data distribution in geochemistry: Death of a myth. Consequences for the statistical treatment of geochemical and environmental data10.1007/s002549900081 ↗
36. Anderson, D.R. (2008). Model Based Inference in the Life Sciences: A Primer on Evidence, Springer. [1st ed.].10.1007/978-0-387-74075-1 ↗
37. Leaching of rare earths from Abu Tartur (Egypt) phosphate rock with phosphoric acid10.1007/s10163-022-01558-8 ↗
38. The “North American shale composite”: Its compilation, major and trace element characteristics10.1016/0016-7037(84)90298-9 ↗
39. Kabata-Pendias, A. (2011). Trace Elements in Soils and Plants, CRC Press. [4th ed.].10.1201/b10158 ↗
40. Taylor, S.R., and McLennan, S.M. (1985). The Continental Crust, Its Composition and Evolution: An Examination of the Geochemical Record Preserved in Sedimentary Rocks, Blackwell Scientific.
41. Turekian, K.K. (2014). Treatise on Geochemistry, Elsevier.
42. Trace element characteristics of graywackes and tectonic setting discrimination of sedimentary basins10.1007/BF00375292 ↗
43. Determination of gold and uranium mineralization in black schists and sulfide ores using radiography complex10.1016/1350-4487(95)00137-4 ↗
44. Geochemistry of hydrothermal gold deposits: A review10.1016/j.gsf.2011.05.006 ↗
45. New multi-dimensional diagrams for tectonic discrimination of siliciclastic sediments and their application to Precambrian basins10.1016/j.chemgeo.2013.07.014 ↗
46. Critical evaluation of six tectonic setting discrimination diagrams using geochemical data of Neogene sediments from known tectonic settings10.1016/j.sedgeo.2005.02.004 ↗
47. Trace Element Discrimination Diagrams for the Tectonic Interpretation of Granitic Rocks
48. Application of High Field Strength Elements10.2113/gsecongeo.97.3.629 ↗
49. Geochemistry and paleoweathering of metasediments and pyrite-bearing quartzite during the Neoproterozoic Era, Wadi Ibib-Wadi Suwawrib, South Eastern Desert, Egypt10.1007/s12517-021-09141-5 ↗