An overview of radioactivity measurement studies in Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wazir Muhammad ◽  
Matiullah ◽  
Asad Ullah ◽  
Sajjad Tahir ◽  
Fawad Ullah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Sodium Iodide ◽  
Health Hazards ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
High Purity Germanium ◽  
Naturally Occurring Radionuclides ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Radiological Health ◽  
Made In

Abstract In our environment, various naturally occurring radionuclides are present (both underground and overground) in several places, which results in lifelong human exposure. The radiation dose received by human beings from the radiation emitted by these naturally occurring radionuclides is approximately 87%. Exposure to radiation poses radiological health hazards. To assess the human health hazards from radiation, the concentration of these naturally occurring radionuclides are measured in soil (used for cultivation), building materials (soil, bricks, sand, marble, etc.), water and dietary items, worldwide. The available literature revealed that numerous studies related to the subject have been carried out in Pakistan. Most of these studies measured the radioactivity concentrations of primordial [uranium (238U), thorium (232Th), radium (226Ra) and potassium (40K)] and anthropogenic [cesium (137Cs)] radionuclide in soil samples (used for cultivation), fertilizers, building materials (i.e. bricks, rocks, sand, soil, marble, etc.), as well as water and dietary items, using a sodium iodide detector or high purity germanium. An effort was made in 2008 to compile these studies as a review article. However, since then, considerable studies have been undertaken and reported in the literature. Therefore, the main objective of the present article is to provide a countrywide baseline data on radionuclide levels, by overviewing and compiling the relevant studies carried out in Pakistan.

ASSESSMENT OF NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES IN MALAYSIA’S BUILDING MATERIALS

2019 ◽  
Vol 186 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shittu Abdullahi ◽  
Aznan Fazli Ismail ◽  
Supian Samat
Keyword(s):  
Hpge Detector ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Activity Concentration ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
High Purity Germanium ◽  
Activity Concentrations ◽  
Naturally Occurring Radionuclides ◽  
Measured Activity ◽  
Materials Used

Abstract The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides from common building materials used by Malaysian people for construction purposes were studied using High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. The measured activity concentrations of the aforementioned radionuclides range from 10 ± 1 Bq kg−1 (limestone) to 155 ± 61 Bq kg−1 (feldspar), 12 ± 3 Bq kg−1 (limestone) to 274 ± 8 Bq kg−1 (kaolin) and 62 ± 19 Bq kg−1 (limestone) to 1114 ± 20 Bq kg−1 (pottery stone) for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, respectively. The measured activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides reported herein were found to be in accordance with other previous studies. In general, the activity concentration of the natural radionuclides revealed that all the determined values were below the recommended limit.

Ensuring the Radiation-Related Ecological Safety of Buildings

2018 ◽  
Vol 878 ◽  
pp. 243-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.V. Stefanenko ◽  
O.P. Sidelnikova
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Background Radiation ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Physical Property ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Naturally Occurring Radionuclides ◽  
The One

Nowadays, both builders and public have started to pay more and more interest to such a physical property of building materials as radioactivity. This is due to the fact that on the one hand, in the so-called "nuclear era", the problem of reducing radiation doses for people has acquired a global character, and on the other hand - millions of tons of construction raw materials containing natural radionuclides are extracted from bowels and are used in construction, where the structure of these doses of radiation is sharply deformed. Naturally occurring radionuclides make the largest contribution to the dose of human exposure to radiation. Economic activities lead to a significant redistribution of naturally occurring radionuclides in the environment. The background radiation in buildings is considered to be one of the main types of radiation impact on human beings, since people spend a larger part of time indoors. The radiation control of construction objects is necessary to ensure public radiation safety.

ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL RADIONUCLIDES LEVELS IN DRINKING WATER FROM OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (6-7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Usikalu M. R. ◽  
Olawole C. O. ◽  
Joel E. S.
Keyword(s):  
Water Samples ◽  
Background Radiation ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Radiological Protection ◽  
Ogun State ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
High Purity Germanium ◽  
Naturally Occurring Radionuclides ◽  
Effective Doses

Naturally occurring radionuclides levels of 238U, 232Th and 40K were investigated in the water samples collected at different boreholes in all the local government of Ogun State using high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector (Canberra Industries Inc.). The activity concentrations measured from the water samples ranged from 0.06 to 1.37 Bq l-1 for 238U, 0.15 to 0.52 Bq l-1 for 232Th and 1.35 to 12.74 Bq l-1 for 40K. The measured activities concentrations for 238U, 232Th and 40K along with their ingested dose conversion factors were used to estimate the annual effective doses in accordance with International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) based on age groups 0 -1y, 1 – 2y, 2 – 7y, 7 – 12y, 12 – 17y and >17y for water consumption. The total annual effective doses calculated varied from 0.004 to 0.517, 0.002 to 0.092, 0.001 to 0.078, 0.001 to 0.076, 0.024 to 0.110 and 0.002 to 0.117 for the age groups accordingly. The physiochemical results showed that 85% of the water was acidic as they have pH less than 6.5 and 65 % of them exceeded the copper concentration recommended limit. It revealed that consumption of the water is safe from natural background radiation for all groups except 0-1 y as the annual effective dose obtained for this group exceeded the average world limit (0.12). The study therefore, suggests that Ogun State populace should use less of these water samples for babies between the age 0-1 year.

scholarly journals The Ticks of Rodents and their Nests, and the Discovery that Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latr. is the Vector of Tropical Typhus in Kenya

1935 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Isgaer Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Positive Result ◽  
Guinea Pigs ◽  
Rhipicephalus Sanguineus ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Unfavourable Weather ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Made In

1. Earlier attempts to trace the vector of tropical typhus in Kenya failed. The only references to the subject in the available literature consist of mere suggestions that a mite would most likely prove to be the transmitter.2. An investigation made in an area whence most Nairobi cases of tropical typhus were reported, suggested that a tick (R. pulchellus) would be the most likely vector.3. Transmission experiments made in the belief that one of the unclassed fevers of man was conveyed by R. pulchellus have so far yielded negative results. There is, however, sufficient circumstantial evidence available pointing to this tick as vector of a form of mild typhus to man—this demands further investigation.4. At Mombasa and Nairobi, houses reported to be heavily infested with ticks, or houses investigated after the occurrence of the tropical typhus in them, have yielded only R. sanguineus.5. R. sanguineus (3 ♀), taken from a dog in a house where the last typhus case had occurred 8 months previously, gave a typical typhus syndrome when emulsified and inoculated into a male guinea-pig. R. sanguineus (1 ♀, 12 ⊙), taken in a house where a child had recently contracted typhus, also gave a positive result with guinea-pigs and the virus was further transmitted by passage through other guinea-pigs.6. The infestation of houses by R. sanguineus and the incidence of tropical typhus among human beings appear to be influenced by unfavourable weather conditions, causing the ticks to seek relatively dry and warm places for purposes of oviposition or metamorphosis, thus invading houses. In the absence of dogs, its usual hosts, the tick attacks man.

scholarly journals Gamma exposure from building materials – A dose model with expanded gamma lines from naturally occurring radionuclides applicable in non-standard rooms

2018 ◽  
Vol 159 ◽  
pp. 768-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Croymans ◽  
Federica Leonardi ◽  
Rosabianca Trevisi ◽  
Cristina Nuccetelli ◽  
Sonja Schreurs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Naturally Occurring Radionuclides ◽  
Dose Model

scholarly journals CONCENTRATIONS OF INDOOR AND SOIL RADON IN LITHUANIA/RADONAS GRUNTO ORE IR PATALEOSE LIETUVOJE

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 316-321
Author(s):  
Kęstutis Gasiūnas ◽  
Albinas Mastauskas ◽  
Gendrutis Morkūnas
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Indoor Radon ◽  
Average Concentration ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Soil Air ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Naturally Occurring Radionuclides ◽  
Radon Risk ◽  
Action Levels ◽  
Radon Concentrations

Uranium and its daughters including Ra-226 are naturally present in the Earth's crust and other environmental bodies. During decay of Ra-226 radioactive noble gas radon is produced. This gas emanates to the atmosphere from solid matrixes containing Ra-226. It causes a special problem connected with the fact that radon accumulates in the closed spaces of buildings. Increased concentrations of radon indoors in many cases are the significant source of human exposure to ionizing radiation. Radon daughters having been deposited in the airways of human lungs are the source of alpha particles which irradiates the inner surface of airways. Since radiation quality of alpha radiation is high and small volumes of tissues are being irradiated, the influence of indoor radon as a source of ionizing radiation is significant. In order to forecast indoor radon concentrations and to take necessary remedial (in existing buildings) or prevention (in new buildings) measures, the main sources of indoor radon should be known in each country or geographical region. It may be soil, building materials, water and natural gas. It has been determined that the main source of indoor radon in Lithuania is soil. Permanent investigations of radionuclide content of building materials used or manufactured in Lithuania have not revealed any building materials with concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides exceeding maximum permitted levels determined by the Lithuanian Hygienic Standards HN 40-1994. These investigations are performed by means of gamma spectrometry using the Ge spectrometer by Oxford after sample grinding and drying. A short review of radon risk mapping techniques used in Sweden, USA, Germany and Czech Republic is presented in paper. These techniques may be used for creation of similar technique in Lithuania with corrections connected with local geology. When determining radon risk mainly two parameters should be taken into account: radium content in soil (or radon content in soil air) which is associated with the type of soil and permeability of soil. The Lithuanian system of radon risk determination is not created yet because more detailed data on radon concentrations in soil air should be collected. Data from field measurements of radon concentrations in soil air and concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides are presented. These measurements were carried out in some potentially important from the point of view of radon risk regions of Lithuania. Concentrations of Ra-226, Th-228 and K-40 in soil have been measured by gamma spectrometer GR-256 by Exploranium on the surface layer (up to 30 cm) of soil. Concentrations of radon in soil have been measured by MARKUS 10 in the depth of 70 cm. The measurements have been performed directly without sampling and sample preparation by digging the detector of Exploranium and pumping rod of MARKUS 10 in the investigated soil. The results indicate that there are some regions in Lithuania with radon concentrations in soil air exceeding 100 kBq/m3. Though radon risk depends on soil permeability these results show that these areas may be identified as areas of medium or even high radon risk. The system for classification of building sites in terms of indoor radon risk should be created in Lithuania in order to follow requirements of Lithuanian radiation protection standards and to keep below determined action levels of indoor radon- 400 Bq/m3 in existing buildings and 200 Bq/m3 in constructed ones. Results of indoor radon measurements are presented as well. The measurements have been performed in 400 randomly selected detached houses during heating season in two lowest permanently used rooms. Duration of one measurement exceeds 3 weeks. E-PERM electrets have been used for this type of measurements. The results show that the average concentration of indoor radon in Lithuania is 55 Bq/m3. In some cases these concentrations exceed the above-mentioned action levels and approach 2000 Bq/m. It shows that indoor radon problems exist in Lithuania as in many other countries. The average concentration of indoor radon in karst region is 125 Bq/m3. It shows that special attention should be paid to such regions because conditions for increased intake of radon to buildings may exist. Indoor radon is one of the main sources of exposure in Lithuania. In some cases it may be the essential source causing tens of milisieverts of annual effective dose. It shows that the problem of indoor radon is important in Lithuania.

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