The present study was carried out on commercial types of Aswan granite used as building and decorative materials. Nearly 29 granitic rocks samples from 11 classes (black Aswan, red Aswan, dark Rosa, light Rosa, yellow Verdi, grey Shirka, Gandolla, Forsan, red Nefertiti, Royal, and white Halayeb) were collected from three stations near Aswan city for petrographical description and assessment of natural radioactivity. The petrographical study of granites was conducted by polarized-light microscope in order to determine their mineralogical composition and investigate their texture; the activity of the natural radionuclides ²³⁸U, Ra²²⁶, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K was measured by gamma-ray spectrometry with a NaI(Tl) detector. The average values of the activities, 52.2 Bq kg⁻¹, 57.8 Bq kg⁻¹, 31.2 Bq kg⁻¹, and 1055.7 Bq kg⁻¹ of U-238, Th-232, Ra-226, and K-40, respectively, were higher than that the world average values of 35 Bq kg⁻¹, 30 Bq kg⁻¹ and 400 Bq kg⁻¹ for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K, respectively, according to the recommended levels from UNSCEAR reports. The minimum and maximum values obtained were compared with the value ranges from other locations in the Eastern Desert, highlighting the fact that that the maximum values obtained in this work are higher than those in other areas. According to the radiological hazards indices results, most samples lie in the permissible level ranges, suggesting their favorability for use as building materials. In contrast to that, some samples have some environmental parameters higher than the international levels, indicating their unsuitability as building materials.

The widespread usage of granite in the building sector motivated us to conduct this research and examine the material’s sustainability in terms of the investigated characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the statistical analysis results for the mineralogical impact on radiological hazards indices, such as the equivalent of radium, absorbed gamma dose rate, annual effective dose, internal and external hazard indices, as well as the gamma-ray index, that were calculated to estimate the environmental risks associated with these granites used as building materials, to protect the public from excessive radioactivity exposure. We focused primarily on statistical significance at a 95% confidence level. We employed a non-parametric test (Kruskal–Wallis Test) rather than a one-way ANOVA, to determine the statistical significance of the samples due to the lack of homogeneity or normality among them. To assess the difference between the samples, we used the Mann–Whitney Test on each pair of samples. Additionally, Pearson correlation coefficients for all the mineralogical results are computed. The presence of K-rich minerals (Kefeldspars, biotite) and accessories such as uranophane, uranothorite, allanite, xenotime, fergusonite, aeschynite, zircon, cassiterite, apatite, and sphene, which are mostly found in granitic rocks, determines the level of natural radioactivity of the investigated granites. Most of the rock samples analyzed have indicators of radioactive dangers that are within the acceptable level range, indicating that they are suitable for use as building materials. On the other hand, some samples have environmental criteria that are higher than international standards, indicating that they are unsuitable for use as construction materials.

Quaternary stream sediments and beach black sand in north-western Saudi Arabia (namely Wadi Thalbah, Wadi Haramil and Wadi Al Miyah) are characterized by the enrichment of heavy minerals. Concentrates of the heavy minerals in two size fractions (63–125 μm and 125–250 μm) are considered as potential sources of “strategic” accessory minerals. A combination of mineralogical, geochemical and spectroscopic data of opaque and non-opaque minerals is utilized as clues for provenance. ThO₂ (up to 17.46 wt%) is correlated with UO₂ (up to 7.18 wt%), indicating a possible uranothorite solid solution in zircon. Hafnoan zircon (3.6–5.75 wt% HfO₂) is a provenance indicator that indicates a granitic source, mostly highly fractionated granite. In addition, monazite characterizes the same felsic provenance with rare-earth element oxides (La, Ce, Nd and Sm amounting) up to 67.88 wt%. These contents of radionuclides and rare-earth elements assigned the investigated zircon and monazite as “strategic” minerals. In the bulk black sand, V₂O₅ (up to 0.36 wt%) and ZrO₂ (0.57 wt%) are correlated with percentages of magnetite and zircon. Skeletal or star-shaped Ti-magnetite is derived from the basaltic flows. Mn-bearing ilmenite, with up to 5.5 wt% MnO, is derived from the metasediments. The Fourier-transform infrared transmittance (FTIR) spectra indicate lattice vibrational modes of non-opaque silicate heavy minerals, e.g., amphiboles. In addition, the FTIR spectra show O-H vibrational stretching that is related to magnetite and Fe-oxyhydroxides, particularly in the magnetic fraction. Raman data indicate a Verwey transition in the spectrum of magnetite, which is partially replaced by possible ferrite/wüstite during the measurements. The Raman shifts at 223 cm⁻¹ and 460 cm⁻¹ indicate O-Ti-O symmetric stretching vibration and asymmetric stretching vibration of Fe-O bonding in the FeO₆ octahedra, respectively. The ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectra confirm the dominance of ferric iron (Fe³⁺) as well as some Si⁴⁺ transitions of magnetite (226 and 280 nm) in the opaque-rich fractions. Non-opaque heavy silicates such as hornblende and ferrohornblende are responsible for the 192 nm intensity band.

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the Magal Gebreel granitic suites (MGGs) using petrological (fieldwork, petrography, mineral chemistry, and bulk rock analysis) aspects to infer their petrogenesis and emplacement setting. Our understanding of the development of the northern portion of the Arabian Nubian Shield is significantly improved by the Neoproterozoic granitic rocks of the seldom studied MGGs in Egypt’s south Eastern Desert. According to detailed field, mineralogical, and geochemical assessments, they comprise syn-collision (granodiorites) and post-collision (monzogranites, syenogranites, and alkali feldspar rocks). Granodiorite has strong positive Pb, notable negative P, Ti, and Nb anomalies, and is magnesian in composition. They have high content of LREEs (light rare-earth elements) compared to HREEs (heavy rare-earth elements) and clear elevation of LFSEs (low-field strength elements; K Rb, and Ba) compared to HFSEs (high-field strength elements; Zr and Nb), which are in accord with the contents of I-type granites from the Eastern Desert. In this context, the granodiorites are indicative of an early magmatic phase that probably resulted from the partial melting of high K-mafic sources in the subduction zone. Conversely, the post-collision rocks have low contents of Mg#, CaO, P₂O₅, MgO, Fe₂O₃, Sr, and Ti, and high SiO₂, Fe₂O₃/MgO, Nb, Ce, and Ga/Al, suggesting A-type features with ferroan affinity. Their P, Nb, Sr, Ba, and Ti negative anomalies are in accord with the findings for Eastern Desert granites of the A2-type. Furthermore, they exhibit a prominent negative anomaly in Eu and a small elevation of LREEs in relation to HREEs. The oxygen fugacity (fO₂) for the rocks under investigation can be calculated using the biotite chemistry. The narrow Fe/(Fe + Mg) ratio range (0.6–0.75) indicates that they crystallized under moderately oxidizing conditions between ~QFM +0.1 and QFM +1. The A-type rocks were formed by the partial melting of a tonalite source (underplating rocks) in a post-collisional environment during the late period of extension via slab delamination. The lithosphere became somewhat impregnated with particular elements as a result of the interaction between the deeper crust and the upwelling mantle.