Biomonitoring of radioactive contamination using benthic invertebrate communities in Manzala Lake, Egypt

Manzala Lake, the largest in Egypt’s Nile Delta, has significant human activity. The Lake’s ecological condition recently been impacted by a increase agricultural, industrial, and urban wastewater discharge. Avaluable tool for monitoring water quality of Manzal aLake is sensitivity invertebrate species to various types pollution, such as radioactive contamination. Activity concentrations radionuclides Radium-226 (226Ra),Thorium-232 (232Th), Potassium-40 ( 40K), Caesium-137(137Cs) were measured water, sediments benthic samples 2020. community’s spatial distribution radionuclides’ bioaccumulation evaluated determine possible relationships.Thirty taxa invertebrates recognised.The data illustrated that mean activity concentratio nof was order 40K > 232Th >226Ra 137Cs, which changed into 226Ra 137Csin sediment invertebrates. Gastropoda Ostracoda are dominating groups benthos lake related highest radionuclides. with shells dominated at sites concentration 226Ra, while soft-bodied organisms average 137Cs these samples.