Samples for this study were collected from pristine granites and their surface-derived soils from the Um Shaddad area, central Eastern Desert, Egypt. The elemental concentration was determined using Induced Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS). The influence of the fresh peraluminous granites of Um Shaddad on the distribution of the major, trace, and rare earth elements in the derived soils was investigated. The analysis revealed that Al2O3 and Fe2O3 are immobile during weathering. The LILE elements V, Co, Cu, Sr, and Cs are mobile and the ferromagnesian elements Ni, Co, Cr, V, and Sr are mobile in the soil environment. Rb together with all the HFSE elements Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, and Hf are immobile. The normative mineralogy showed a loss of quartz (19.75–40.02) and orthoclase (11.29–31.24) with the enrichment of plagioclase (25.78–41.24) for the surface soils relative to their parent rocks. Using different weathering indices the parent rocks and their derived surface soils are classified as un-weathered to weakly weathered. REEs, Th, and U concentrations showed a sample-to-sample variation, due to the difference in the concentration of the accessory minerals present. The average concentration of the rare earth elements in the altered soils adheres to their fresh rocks. The high concentration of Ce and Th is related to the presence of monazite in the fresh rocks and altered soils. The chondrite normalized patterns reveal LREEs’ enrichment relative to HREEs for the fresh rocks and their soils, with distinct Eu anomalies. The ferromagnesian elements showed a preference in soils over fresh granite. Sphene and monazite are probably the most stable minerals in fresh granites. Many geochemical ratios were tested as weathering ratios, and only the ratios LREE/U and LREE/Th, proved to be reliable. Despite the similarity in mineral constituents, sequential mineralogical response to weathering, and geochemical composition of the fresh granites and their soils, this study enhances the understanding of chemical weathering in the arid environment.

Sixty-eight samples representing the derived soils of the Um Shaddad parent granites (Eastern desert, Egypt) were examined for their natural radioactivity and hazards assessment. For data acquisition, a NaI detector was utilized for the gamma ray measurements and the Induced Coupled Plasma Spectrometry ICP-MS and the Induced Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry ICP‐AES for elemental concentration. The radionuclides activity concentration for the weathered soils varied from 6.02 ± 6.64 to 201.26 ± 45.47, 14.13 ± 3.26 to 151.57 ± 50 and 72.84 ± 28.81 to 1624.84 ± 563.72, relative to 39.15 ± 14.3 to 211.7 ± 28.3, 23.2 ± 5.09 to 103.8 ± 29.27 and 288.4 ± 108.7 to 2585.7 ± 883.8 in the parent rocks, representing uranium ²³⁵U, thorium ²³²Th and potassium ⁴⁰K, respectively. These values are relatively lower when compared to granites from other countries and much lower than the values reported by UNCEAR for the natural building stones. The hazard indices of radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq), internal and external hazards (H_in, H_ex), indoor and outdoor absorbed gamma dose rate (AEDE), Gamma and Alpha Indices (I_γ and I_α) are within the acceptable limits. While the Absorbed Gamma Dose Rate (AGDR), Annual Gonadal Dose Equivalent (AGDE) and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) are beyond the allowable range assigned by UNCEAR. Therefore, Um Shaddad granites and their derived soils do create radiological health hazard as building material and could not be used for industrial application as they pose substantial radiological concern on human health.

This study primarily investigates the natural radioactivity level in alkaline rocks collected from the Wadi El-Dib ring complex (WDRC) in North Eastern Desert of Egypt, and assesses potential health risks associated with their use as decorative building materials. The work was accomplished using a high-purity germanium detector as well as ICP-MS and ICP-AES techniques. The WDRC composed essentially of trachyte, quartz syenite, granite and syenite. Geochemically, these rocks contain high SiO₂ and alkalis with metaluminous to slightly peraluminous features. All rocks contain high concentrations of rare earth elements (∑REEs = 109–1075 ppm), with clear enrichment in light REEs compared to heavy REEs [(La/Yb)_N = 8.3–25.3. Radiometrically, the concentrations of the natural radioisotopes (²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K) in the studied rock types surpassed the worldwide average values assigned for building …

The hydro solvothermal method was employed to synthesize nano porous aluminum metal organic framework (Al-MOF) nanoparticles (NPs), which were utilized as a matrix for the pharmaceutical delivery of Edaravone (Ed). The drug encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC) indicate the potential of Al metal organic framework NPs as effective drug delivery vehicles. The structural and functional properties of both the Al metal organic framework NPs and Ed-loaded Al metal organic framework NPs (Ed@Al-MOF) were characterized using several techniques, including ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) for morphological analysis, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Additionally, the thermal stability of the Ed@Al metal organic framework NPs was evaluated through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These promising results underscore the potential of Al metal organic framework NPs as a viable platform for drug delivery, necessitating further investigations to confirm the applicability of Ed@Al metal organic framework NPs in therapeutic contexts.

The reuse of expired drugs has become a challenge in maintaining environmental cleanliness and achieving economic benefits. In this report, two expired drugs, moxifloxacin and norfloxacin, were used as inhibitors for copper corrosion in 3.5 % NaCl solution at different temperatures using several experimental approaches including chemical, electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. The interaction of these two molecules on the copper surface was also inspected using different adsorption models. Using a dose of 500 mg L-1 of these drugs at 298 K, maximum inhibition efficiencies (IE) of 88.7 and 85.2 % were estimated from the potentiodynamic polarization technique for Mox and Nor, respectively., confirming that they can be considered as promising and effective inhibitors. The IE values were enhanced with increasing drug doses and reduced with rising temperature. The higher IE is due to the strong adsorption of these molecules on the copper surface, which is physical in nature and follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. This is due to their unique chemical structures, as they contain a number of functional groups. Polarization experiments confirmed that the drugs were tuned to behave as mixed-type inhibitors with an anodic predominance. All thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were calculated and discussed in details , and the inhibition mechanism was proposed. All experimental results obtained by different techniques were in agreement with each other.

In this study, binder-free CoS₂–reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites (NCs) were deposited on Cu₂O nanosheets via one-step electrodeposition. rGO was obtained from carbon dioxide electroreduction during CoS₂ deposition. CoS₂–rGO@Cu₂O heterostructure electrodes were deposited for varying electrodeposition times, and their performance in nonenzymatic glucose sensing in 0.1 M NaOH was determined. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verified the formation of rGO in all heterostructure electrodes. Various interfacial bonding states between Cu₂O nanosheets and CoS₂–rGO NCs were detected, indicating improved interfacial synergy between the heterostructure layers. Moreover, the phase transformation from CoS to CoS₂ occurred as the electrodeposition time was increased from 10 to 30 min. The CoS₂–rGO@Cu₂O heterostructure electrodes electrodeposited for 20 min were considered optimum for enzyme-free glucose sensing. The sensors exhibited a sensitivity of 635.94 μA·mM⁻¹·cm⁻² for glucose oxidation with a limit of detection of 17 μM in a wide linear detection range of 100–3000 μM. All the CoS₂–rGO@Cu₂O heterostructure electrodes exhibited enhanced selectivity to glucose oxidation in the presence of other interfering species and long-term stability for 3000 s.

Groundwater is the main source of water used in the West Assiut combined cycle power plant (WACCPP). In this paper, the water quality in this area (wells water samples) and raw water (wells water collecting tank sample) are investigated in terms of physicochemical properties, and its agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) standard limits. Statistical analysis, correlation analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis are used to analyze water chemistry data, classify water samples, and assure obtaining accurate results. The water quality and pollution indices, such as water quality index (WQI), water pollution index (WPI), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HI), and human exposure risk index, are considered herein. The study results showed that water classification, in this area regarding salinity, is fresh to slightly brackish water. Results showed also that the raw water is …