Thorium Determination in Intercomparison Samples and in some Romanian Building Materials by Gamma Ray Spectrometry

Abstract Radioactivity of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were measured in a total of 92 samples, including eight commonly used types of building materials that were obtained from local manufacturers and suppliers in Beijing. Concentrations were determined using high-purity germanium gamma-ray spectrometry. The 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K activity concentrations in all samples varied from 10.1 to 661, 3.3 to 555 and 3.2 to 2945 Bq per kg with an average of 127.8, 114.8, and 701.5 Bq per kg, respectively. The potential radiological hazards were estimated by calculating the absorbed dose rate (D), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external hazard (Hex), and internal hazard (Hin) indices. The investigated building materials were classified into different types according to the radioactivity levels. Results from this research will provide a reference for the acquisition, sales, and use of building materials. Attention should be paid to the use of coal cinder brick, ceramic, and granite in the construction of dwellings.

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Natural Radioactivity, Radiological Hazard and Petrographical Studies on Aswan Granites Used as Building Materials in Egypt

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11146471 ◽

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 ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Radioactivity ◽

Building Materials ◽

Gamma Ray ◽

Natural Radionuclides ◽

Polarized Light ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Mineralogical Composition ◽

Eastern Desert ◽

Granitic Rocks ◽

Gamma Ray Spectrometry

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.

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Determining radium-226 concentration from radon-222 emanation in building materials: a theoretical model

Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences ◽

10.15392/bjrs.v7i2a.550 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (2A) ◽

Author(s):

Rafael Carvalho Barreto ◽

Allan F. N. Perna ◽

Danielle C. Narloch ◽

Flavia Del Claro ◽

Janine N. Correa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Theoretical Model ◽

Building Material ◽

Nuclear Physics ◽

Building Materials ◽

Gamma Ray ◽

Cement Mortar ◽

One Dimension ◽

Gamma Ray Spectrometry ◽

Direct Measurements ◽

Non Destructive

It was developed an improved theoretical model capable to estimate the radium concentration in building materials solely measuring the radon-222 concentration in a confined atmosphere.This non-destructive technique is not limited by the size of the samples, and it intrinsically includes back diffusion.The resulting equation provides the exact solution for the concentration of radon-222 as a function of time and distance in one dimension.The effective concentration of radium-226 is a fit parameter of this equation.In order to reduce its complexity, this equation was simplified considering two cases:low diffusion in the building material compared to the air, anda building material initially saturated with radon-222.These simplified versions of the exact one dimension solution were used to fit experimental data.Radon-222 concentration was continuously measured for twelve days with an AlphaGUARD detector, located at the Laboratory of Applied Nuclear Physics at Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR).This model was applied to two different materials: cement mortar and concrete, which results were respectively (15.7 +- 8.3) Bq/kg and (10.5 +- 2.4) Bq/kg for the radium-226 effective concentration.This estimation was confronted with the direct measurements of radium in the same materials (same sources) using gamma-ray spectrometry, fulfilled at Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), which results were respectively (13.81 +- 0.23) Bq/kg and (12.61 +- 0.22) Bq/kg.

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Measurement of natural radioactivity in building materials of Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India using gamma-ray spectrometry

Applied Radiation and Isotopes ◽

10.1016/j.apradiso.2011.12.001 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 70 (4) ◽

pp. 699-704 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

R. Ravisankar ◽

K. Vanasundari ◽

A. Chandrasekaran ◽

A. Rajalakshmi ◽

M. Suganya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Radioactivity ◽

Tamil Nadu ◽

Building Materials ◽

Gamma Ray ◽

Gamma Ray Spectrometry

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STATISTICAL ESTIMATION OF RADIOLOGICAL HAZARDS FROM RADIONUCLIDE CONTENTS IN BUILDING MATERIALS

Radiation Protection Dosimetry ◽

10.1093/rpd/ncz047 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

O O Adewoyin ◽

M Omeje ◽

E S Joel ◽

O A Odetunmibi

Keyword(s):

Statistical Estimation ◽

Building Materials ◽

Gamma Ray ◽

Gamma Ray Spectrometry ◽

Radium Equivalent Activity ◽

Mean Values ◽

Average Value ◽

Radiological Hazards ◽

Radium Equivalent ◽

Safe Limit

Abstract Thirteen (13) types of building tiles and Sharp sand commonly used for building purposes were collected for their radionuclide contents analysis using gamma ray spectrometry. The average value of the Radium equivalent activity is 208.81 Bq/kg for all samples considered was found to be lower than the recommended safe limit of 370 Bq/kg. Similarly, both external and internal hazard indices (Hex and Hin) were noted to have mean values of 0.57 and 0.73, respectively, which were lower than the recommended safe standard of 1. More so, the average absorbed gamma dose rate was observed to be 94.31 nGy/h, much higher than the recommended safe limit of 59 nGy/h.

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Determination of natural radioactivity and the associated radiation hazards in building materials used in Polur, Tiruvannamalai District, Tamilnadu, India using gamma ray spectrometry with statistical approach

Journal of Geochemical Exploration ◽

10.1016/j.gexplo.2016.01.013 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 163 ◽

pp. 41-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

R. Ravisankar ◽

Y. Raghu ◽

A. Chandrasekaran ◽

M. Suresh Gandhi ◽

P. Vijayagopal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Radioactivity ◽

Building Materials ◽

Statistical Approach ◽

Gamma Ray ◽

Gamma Ray Spectrometry ◽

Radiation Hazards ◽

Materials Used

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Natural radioactivity level in materials used for medieval vaulting in the territory of the central Balkan region

Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection ◽

10.2298/ntrp1602184b ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 184-189 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Igor Bjelic ◽

Dragana Todorovic ◽

Jelena Krneta-Nikolic ◽

Djordje Lazarevic ◽

Koviljka Stankovic

Keyword(s):

Natural Radioactivity ◽

Building Materials ◽

Gamma Ray ◽

Health Hazard ◽

Hazard Index ◽

Absorbed Dose ◽

Balkan Peninsula ◽

Gamma Ray Spectrometry ◽

Balkan Region ◽

Materials Used

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.

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Natural radiation exposure and radon exhalation rate of building materials used in Turkey

Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection ◽

10.2298/ntrp1802159t ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 159-166

Author(s):

Seref Turhan ◽

Alper Temirci ◽

Asli Kurnaz ◽

Aydan Altikulac ◽

Elif Goren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Radiation Exposure ◽

Building Materials ◽

Gamma Ray ◽

Germanium Detector ◽

Gamma Ray Spectrometry ◽

Limit Values ◽

Radon Exhalation ◽

Activity Concentrations ◽

Materials Used ◽

Radioactivity Levels

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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