Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1
School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
2
National Nuclear Radiological Chemical and Biological Regulatory Commission, Baghdad, Iraq
3
Laser and Optoelectronics Engineering Department, Dijlah University, Baghdad, Iraq
4
Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission, Directorate of Nuclear and Radiological Security and Safety, Baghdad, Iraq
Abstract
Natural radionuclides in building materials can expose residents to both internal and external radiation. In the present study, gamma-ray spectroscopy is employed to assess the natural radioactivity of locally available building materials, namely brick, sand, gravel, gypsum, and cement that are frequently used in Baghdad, Iraq. The radiological hazard indices were also computed to evaluate the radiation risks to individuals living in dwellings constructed from the analyzed materials. The activity concentration of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40 in the analyzed building materials varies from 10.63±0.70 to 33.57±1.09, 3.80±0.54 to 21.41±1.55, and 107.90±9.15 to 223.27±12.51 Bq.kg-1, respectively. These results were compared to the global mean values for building materials as well as the results of similar studies conducted in other countries. The radium-equivalent activities of all the analyzed materials are less than the permissible limit of 370 Bq.kg-1, with a range of 24.37-77.17 Bq.kg-1. Similarly, indoor absorbed dose rates (22.59-68.42 nGy.h-1) and annual effective doses (0.11-0.34 mSv.y-1) of all materials remained below recommended limits of 84 nGy.h-1 and 1 mSv.y-1, respectively. The other radiological hazard indices, including internal hazard index, external hazard index, gamma index, alpha index, and excess lifetime cancer risk, did not exceed the worldwide recommended limits with ranges of 0.09-0.29, 0.07-0.21, 0.09-0.28, 0.05-0.17, and (0.388-1.175)×10-3, respectively. These results indicate that the residents are not exposed to any significant radiation hazards as a result of using the analyzed building materials.
Highlights
- Building materials may include natural radionuclides that cause ionizing radiation.
- Natural radionuclides in Iraqi building materials were evaluated using gamma spectrometry.
- All selected building materials comply with international radiological standards.
- A database of radiation levels in frequently used building materials was established.
Keywords
Subjects
Copyright
RPE is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no potential conflict of interest regarding the publication of this work.
Funding
The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other financial support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.
