Radiological risks assessment of building materials ingredients: Palm oil clinker and fuel ash

Abstract

Technical benefits relevant to the use of palm oil clinker (POC) and fuel ash (POFA) in building materials has been well documented. However, the radiological health hazards caused by the incorporation of POC and POFA as an ingredient of building materials have not been studied so far. The radioactivity levels were measured by γ-ray spectrometry using hyper-pure germanium (HPGe) detector. The activity concentration of 226Ra and 232Th in POC and POFA was found to be in the ranges of 5.56 ± 0.23 to 9.03 ± 0.21 and 4.21 ± 0.03 to 7.98 ± 0.19 Bq kg−1, respectively, and these values were lower than the world average values of 50 Bq kg−1 for building materials. The 40K value was within the range of 413.01 ± 1.78 to 604.66 ± 2.18 Bq kg−1. Several radiological parameters and hazard indices, i.e. radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate and annual effective dose etc. were calculated for the evaluation of the potential radiological hazards. The obtained values fall within the recommended limit set by various international organizations. Since the activity levels of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in POC and POFA were significantly lower than the corresponding literature data for other ingredients of building materials, it indicates that POC and POFA are safe to be used in concrete construction.

Ionizing radiation shielding effectiveness of decorative building materials (porcelain and ceramic tiles) used in Bangladeshi dwellings

“…Figure 2 presents the experimental arrangement inside the lead shielding array of the detector. Before measurement, the detector was calibrated for energy and efficiency using a customized multi-nuclides gamma-ray standard source 17 (Isotope Products Laboratories, USA) comprising of 109 Cd, 57 Co, 60 Co, 137 Cs and 88 Y and with an initial activity of 5.046 µCi. The efficiency calibration was carried out for 86,400 s (24 h).…”

Palm Oil Clinker as a Waste by-Product: Utilization and Circular Economy Potential

“…Knowing the radiological health hazards caused by the incorporation of POC in building elements is very important. The radioactivity levels were measured by [12] and the activity concentration in POC was found to be less than 50 Bq kg-1 world average values for building materials. To evaluate the potential radiological hazards, radiological parameters and hazard indices, such as absorbed dose rate, radium equivalent activity, and annual effective dose were determined.…”

The role of silica-containing agro-industrial waste as reinforcement on physicochemical and thermal properties of polymer composites

“…It is being estimated that about 51.19 million tonnes (Mt) of oil palm waste including 4 Mt of oil palm boiler ash is generated by the Malaysian palm oil industry in 2018 [4]. Amongst the generated waste, the oil palm boiler ash (OPBA) is at the forefront of criticism due to its carcinogenic characteristics and bio-accumulative tendency [5]. The safe disposal cost of this OPBA is costly, hitting as high as $5 to $50 from developing to developed countries [5].…”

“…Amongst the generated waste, the oil palm boiler ash (OPBA) is at the forefront of criticism due to its carcinogenic characteristics and bio-accumulative tendency [5]. The safe disposal cost of this OPBA is costly, hitting as high as $5 to $50 from developing to developed countries [5]. Thus, it urges an innovative approach to transform this ash into a valuable end product to minimize palm oil production cost as well as reducing the negative impact on the environment.…”