Assessment of radiation hazards due to exposure to radionuclides in marble and ceramic commonly used as decorative building materials in Egypt

作者：Hassan Nabil M^*; Mansour N A; Fayez Hassan M; Fares Samar

来源：Indoor and Built Environment, 2017, 26(3): 317-326.

DOI：10.1177/1420326X15606507

• Radionuclides
• HPGe
• Radiological hazards
• Marble
• Ceramic
• Egypt

The concentrations of U-238(Ra-226), Th-232, and K-40 for the commonly used decorative building materials (15 marble and 15 ceramic) in Egypt were measured using gamma spectroscopy system. Radionuclides concentrations in marble samples were ranged from: ND to 49.92 +/- 7.74Bqkg(-1) for Ra-226, 8.30 +/- 1.70 to 119.52 +/- 16.00Bqkg(-1) for Th-232, and 32.60 +/- 4.25 to 2238.33 +/- 242.66Bqkg(-1) for K-40 while in ceramic samples the concentration ranged from: 28.42 +/- 5.41 to 118.70 +/- 20.34Bqkg(-1) for Ra-226, 30.65 +/- 5.49 to 114.15 +/- 18.78Bqkg(-1) for Th-232, and 389.54 +/- 49.57 to 1069.83 +/- 124.50Bqkg(-1) for K-40, respectively. These results imply that radium and thorium concentrations were below the worldwide recommended values but potassium was above the standard guideline. Radiological hazards indices of radium equivalent activity (Ra-eq), external and internal hazard indices: H-ex and H-in, respectively, and annual effective doses of the investigated materials due to the presence of those radionuclides were calculated and had values less than the worldwide recommended values of 370Bqkg(-1), unity and 1mSvy(-1), respectively. Therefore, the studied types of marble and ceramic can be safely used as decorative building materials.

• 出版日期2017-3