Natural radioactivity and radiological risks of common building materials used in Semnan Province dwellings, Iran

Abstract

Impact assessment of building materials is a focused topic in the field of radioecology. A radiological survey has conducted to monitor radioactivity of most common building materials in Semnan Province, Iran, and assess the radiation risk. Activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were measured in 29 samples including nine commonly used building materials that were collected from local suppliers and manufacturers, using a high purity germanium gamma-ray detector. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K varied from 6.7±1 to 43.6±9, 5.9±1 to 60±11, and 28.5±3 to 1085±113 Bq kg−1 with averages of 26.8±5, 22.7±4, and 322.4±4 Bq kg−1, respectively. By applying multivariate statistical approach (Pearson correlation, cluster, and principal component analyses (PCA)), the radiological health hazard parameters were analyzed to obtain similarities and correlations between the various samples. The Pearson correlation showed that the 226Ra distribution in the samples is controlled by changing the 232Th concentration. The variance of 95.58% obtained from PCA resulted that the main radiological health hazard parameters exist due to the concentration of 226Ra and 232Th. The resulting dendrogram of cluster analysis also shows a well coincidence with the correlation analysis.

Radiological impact assessment of different building material additives

“…where, D is the gamma dose rate from natural radionuclides (nGy/h), and A Ra-226 , A Th-232 and A K-40 are the activity concentrations of Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 (Bq/kg), respectively. These can be used to calculate the total absorbed dose gamma rate in air, above 1 m from the ground [19].…”

“…These by-products can come from different sources, such as coal-fired power plants, alumina production by-products or from the phosphate fertilizer industries [18]. The average of indoor absorbed dose rate in air from terrestrial sources of radioactivity is estimated to be 84 nGy/h according to the UNSCEAR 2000 report [19].…”

Hazards of Radioactive Mineralization Associated with Pegmatites Used as Decorative and Building Material

“…Implementing a radiological impact assessment for construction materials in order to analyze and control radioactive consequences on humans and the environment is a critical and complex task that must be carried out in order to meet the criteria for sustainable development. Radiation effects should be assessed using quantifiable values that can be utilized as input parameters for designing environmental distribution and estimating radiation dose [ 16 , 17 ]. The present paper concerns the geological and mineralogical composition of the studied mineralized pegmatite and its environmental impacts on humans and the environment.…”

Natural Radionuclide Levels and Radiological Hazards of Khour Abalea Mineralized Pegmatites, Southeastern Desert, Egypt

“…That is because any evaluation must adhere to the requirements of sustainable development. Moreover, the effects of radiation should be evaluated utilizing quantifiable values, which can also be used as input factors when depicting environmental transmission and estimating radiation dose [11,12]. Because people nowadays spend 80% of their time indoors on average, it is critical to determine how much radiation is emitted by the building materials.…”