Determination of natural radioactivity in building materials used in Tunisian dwellings by gamma ray spectrometry

2005 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Hizem ◽  
A. Ben Fredj ◽  
L. Ghedira
2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Bjelic ◽  
Dragana Todorovic ◽  
Jelena Krneta-Nikolic ◽  
Djordje Lazarevic ◽  
Koviljka Stankovic

This work presents the results of an investigation undertaken to determine the level of natural radioactivity in the traditional building materials used for medieval indoor vaulted constructions in the territory of the central Balkan region. Indoor radiation exposure varies appreciably if it comes from the earth building materials, hence the presence of natural radioisotopes of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in masonry vaulted constructions was analyzed using gamma ray spectrometry. In addition, the internal health hazard index, the absorbed dose rates and the effective annual doses were calculated. The results were then compared both with the reported data from the previous studies concerning the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, as well as with the worldwide values for the materials of historic buildings. The results obtained from the materials examined in this paper all showed the radioactivity levels below the maximum permitted values.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6471
Author(s):  
Nasser M. Moghazy ◽  
Amira M. El-Tohamy ◽  
Mona M. Fawzy ◽  
Hamdy A. Awad ◽  
Hesham M. H. Zakaly ◽  
...  

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.


2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamshed H. Zaidi ◽  
M. Arif ◽  
I. Fatima

SummarySamples of sand, stone and manufactured building materials collected from Karachi area have been analyzed for the primordial natural radionuclides


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariusz Malczewski ◽  
Maria Dziurowicz ◽  
Zdenek Kalab ◽  
Marketa Rösnerová

AbstractThis study reports the natural radioactivity of characteristic rocks found in the historic Jeroným Mine of the Czech Republic as measured under the laboratory conditions. The rocks analyzed included granites and schists weathered to varying degrees and collected from different levels of the underground workings of the Jeroným Mine. The mine itself has been subject to metal extraction (mainly tin and tungsten) since the sixteenth century and has recently been developed as a cultural and scientific attraction open to the public. Activity concentrations of 40K, 232Th and 238U were measured from nine rock samples using gamma-ray spectrometry. The activity concentrations of 40K varied from 595 Bq kg−1 to 1244 Bq kg−1, while 232Th varied from 25 Bq kg−1 to 55 Bq kg−1. The activities associated with 238U ranged from 46 Bq kg−1 to 386 Bq kg−1. The measured activities were used to estimate two radiation hazard indices typically applied to building materials, the activity concentration index I and the external hazard index Hex. Mean respective values of 1.02 and 0.77 for I and Hex indicate that the rocks found in the Jeroným Mine meet radiological safety standards for building materials and do not pose a risk to potential tourists and staff.


2012 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 699-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Ravisankar ◽  
K. Vanasundari ◽  
A. Chandrasekaran ◽  
A. Rajalakshmi ◽  
M. Suganya ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-166
Author(s):  
Seref Turhan ◽  
Alper Temirci ◽  
Asli Kurnaz ◽  
Aydan Altikulac ◽  
Elif Goren ◽  
...  

Measuring the natural radioactivity levels and radon exhalation rates (surface and mass) in building materials is essential to evaluate the extent of radiation exposure (external and internal) for residents in dwellings. Gamma-ray spectrometry with a high purity germanium detector was used to measure the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in some building materials used in Turkey. Moreover, an active radon gas analyser with an accumulation container was used to measure their radon surface and mass exhalation rates. Results showed that the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K varied from 5.2 ? 0.6 (satin plaster) to 187.0 ? 2.4 (granite) Bqkg-1, 2.6 ? 0.8 (gypsum) to 172.2 ? 7.6 (granite) Bqkg-1 and 12.3 ? ? 17.0 (sand) to 1958.0 ? 83.4 (brick) Bqkg-1, respectively. Radon surface and mass exhalation rates varied from 2.9 (marble) to 2734.6 mBqm-2h-1(granite) and 0.033 (marble) to 53.866 mBqkg-1h-1 (granite), respectively. The activity concentration index, indoor absorbed gamma dose rate and corresponding annual effective dose were estimated and compared with the recommended limit values. The results indicated that the building materials sampled presented no significant radiological risk.


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