TITLE:
Natural Radioactivity Measurement and Assessment of Radiological Hazards in Some Building Materials Used in Bangladesh
AUTHORS:
M. Azmary Khatun, J. Ferdous, M. M. Haque
KEYWORDS:
Natural Radioactivity, Building Materials, HPGe Detector, Radiation Hazards
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.9 No.10,
September
7,
2018
ABSTRACT: The
radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K
in 24 samples of natural and manufactured building materials commonly used in
Bangladesh were measured using HPGe gamma ray spectrometer. The results in the
present study were compared with the world average and also with the reported
data available in literature. The radium equivalent activity, the absorbed dose
rate, annual effective dose, external and internal hazard indices, gamma index,
alpha index, annual gonadal dose equivalent and excess lifetime cancer risk
were also evaluated to assess the potential radiation hazards associated with
these building materials. All samples under investigation were found to be
within the recommended safety limit and do not pose any significant radiation
hazards. This study can be used as a reference for more extensive studies of
the same subject in future.