Radioactivity measurement in the granites of North Karnataka, India and its radiological implications

Abstract

The natural radioactivities due to uranium, thorium and potassium in granite samples contribute to the radiation dose received by human beings significantly. It is essential to evaluate the activity levels of these nuclides for the assessment of natural radiation dose. The natural radioactivity levels of some granite samples collected from different quarries of North Karnataka, India are estimated using high-resolution gamma ray spectrometry technique and the results are reported in this paper.

Natural Radioactivity in Raw Building Materials for Underground Parking Lots and Assessment of Radiological Health Risk for the Population

“…In particular, thorium exposure can cause lung, pancreas, hepatic, bone, and kidney cancers and leukemia [ 19 ]. As a consequence, several studies on natural radioactivity content were carried out on different environmental matrices [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Among them, raw building materials for underground parking lots, i.e., mixtures of rock, mineral, and glass particles, are regarded as promising naturally occurring resources for producing inexpensive and environmentally friendly construction materials with adequate resistance and durability properties, thus strongly contributing to sustainable growth [ 24 , 25 ].…”

Radon-Specific Activity in Drinking Water and Radiological Health Risk Assessment: A Case Study

“…The natural radioactivity in the environment, due to the presence of cosmogenic and primordial radioisotopes in the Earth's crust, contributes the highest percentage to the dose received by the population [1][2][3]. Although environmental aspects of natural radioactivity have been widely discussed in the literature [4][5][6], the presence of natural radioisotopes in drinking water has not been sufficiently addressed up to now, despite the fact that water represents a critical component of the surrounding environment.…”