Radiological impact assessment of different building material additives

Abstract

In this study, samples of building material additives were analyzed for naturally occurring radioisotope activity such as uranium, radium, and radon. The radon exhalation and the annual effective doses, were also calculated. The activities of the samples, were determined using HPGe gamma spectrometry and ionization detector. The results were used to calculate dose values by using RESRAD BUILD code. The activity concentration of the samples ranges between 9–494 Bq/kg Ra-226, 1–119 Bq/kg Th-232 and 24–730 Bq/kg K-40. In conclusion the investigated samples can be used safely as building material additives as they do not pose a major risk to humans.