Assessment of radiological hazards of travertine rocks as building materials

Document Type : Original Paper

Authors

1 Department of Nuclear Physics, Faculty of Science Arak University, Arak 38156 Iran

2 Arak University

Abstract

Introduction: Although travertine is now widely used as a building material, the effects of its radiological hazards to public health should be a matter of concern. Therefore, this study aimed to determine its radiological parameters with regard to human health.
Material and Methods: In this research 10 travertine samples were collected from exploitation zone in Haji Abad Mine in Mahallat, Iran. Specific radionuclide activities were determined by gamma spectrometry using a high purity germanium detector. In addition, radiological parameters, such as radium equivalent, air doses, internal and external risk factors (Hin, Hex), yearly gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE), and additional cancer risk (ELCR) throughout life were calculated.
Results: The specific activities of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K radionuclides ranged within 3.08-9.16, 1.22-6.45, and 20.15-91.04 Bq/kg, respectively. The obtained means of internal and external annual effective dose of samples were 0.03 and 0.007 mSv/y. External and internal hazard indices for samples were within the range of 0.003-0.01 and 0.01-0.03, respectively.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that the amount of radionuclides in travertine rocks is very small compared to its global average in soil and rock. Therefore, it is suggested to use travertine as a building material, which is not a threat to public health. 

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. References

     

    1. Jamshidi A, Nikudel MR , Khamehchiyan M  , Zalooli A,  Yeganehfar H.  Estimating the Mechanical Properties of Travertine Building Stones Due to Salt Crystallization Using Multivariate Regression Analysis. Journal of Sciences, Islamic Republic of Iran. 2017; 28(3): 231 –41.
    2. UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation). Exposure from natural sources of radiation, United Nations publication sales No. 10.IX.3. . United Nations, United Nations Office at Vienna. 2008.
    3. UNSCEAR. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation.In: Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, vol. I. United Nations, New York. 2000.
    4. Singh P, Rana N, Azam A, Naqvi A, Srivastava D. Levels of uranium in waters from some Indian cities determined by fission track analysis. Radiation Measurements. 1996; 26(5):683-7. Doi: 10.1016/S1350-4487(97)82882-X.
    5. Beretka J, Mathew PJ. Natural radioactivity of Australian building materials, industrial wastes and by products. Health Physics. 1985; 48 : 87-95.
    6. IAEA- TECDOC- 1360. Collection and Preparation of bottom sediment samples for analysis of radionuclides an trace element. International Atomic Energy Agency. . VIENNA. 2003.
    7. Aziz A. Methods of Low-Level Counting and Spectrometry. Symposium Berlin, 1981; 221.
    8. L'Annonziata M. Handbook of Radioactivity analysis. Third Edition Academic Press access online Elsevier . 2012.
    9. available from  https://systatsoftware.com/downloads/download-tablecurve-2d/
    10. Gilmore GR. Practical Gamma-ray Spectrometry. 2nd Edition, Nuclear Training Services Ltd Warrington, UK. 2008; ISBN: 978-0-470-86196-7.
    11. Fireston BR, Shirley SV, Baglin MC, Frank Chu SY, Zipkin J. The 8 Edition of Table of Isotopes. 1996.
    12. El-Taher A, Uosif MAM. The assessment of the radiation hazard indices due to uranium and thorium in some Egyptian environmental matrices. Journal of Physics D, Appl. Phys. 2006; 39(20): 4516–21. Doi: 10.1088/0022-3727/39/20/032.
    13.  Taken from: https://support.goldensoftware.com/hc/en-us/categories/115000653807-Surfer
    14. Ravisankar R, Sivakumar S, Chandrasekaran A, Prince J, Prakash Jebakumar, Vijayalakshmi I, et al. Spatial distribution of gamma radioactivity levels and radiological hazard indices in the east coastal sediments of Tamilnadu, India with statistical approach. Radiation Physics and Chemistry. 2014; 103:89-98. Doi: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2014.05.037.
    15. Issa SAM, Mostafa AMA , Lotfy AM. Radiological impacts of natural radioactivity in phosphate rocks from El-Sibaiya and Red Sea coast mines. J Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 2015; 303: 53-61. Doi:10.1007/s10967-014-3312-x.
    16. EC112. European Commission Report on Radiological Protection Principles Concerning the Natural Radioactivity of Building Materials. Radiation Protection. 1999; 112.
    17. Zalewski M, Tomczak M, Kapala J. Radioactivity of building materials available in northeastern Poland. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies. 2001; 10(3): 183-8.
    18. Mahmoud UMA. Specific Activity of 226Ra, 232Th and  40K for assessment of Radiation Hazards from Building
    19. ICRP Publicat ion 119. Compendium of dose coefficient based on ICRP Publicat ion 60. 2012; 41(1).
    20.  World Health Organization report: https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/iran-life-expectancy
    21. Pourimani R, Davood maghami T. Radiological hazard resulting from natural radioactivity of soil in east of Shazand Power Plant. Iranian Journal of Medical Physics. 2018; 15(3): 192-9.
    22. Turhan AM., Baykan UN, Sen K. Measurment of the Natural Radioactivity in Building materials used in Ankara and assessment of external dose. Journal of Radiological Protection.2008; 28(1): 83-91. Doi: 10.1088/0952-4746/28/1/005.
    23. Ahmed NK, Abbady A, El-arabi AM, Michel R, El-Kamel AH, abbady AGE. Comparative study of the natural Radioactivity of some selected rocks from Egypt and Germany. Indian Journal of Pure & Applied Physics. 2006; 44: 209-15.
    24. Pourimani R, Ghahri R, Zare M R. Natural radioactivity concentrations in Alvand granitic rocks in Hamadan, Iran. Radiation Protection and Environment. 2014; 37 (3, 4): 132-41.
    25. Orgün, Y, Altinsoy N, Sahin SY, Güngör Y, Gültekin AH, Karahan G. Natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in rocks and beach sands from Ezine region (Canakkale), Western Anatolia, Turkey. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 2007; 65:739-47.
    26. Alnour IA, Wagiran H, Ibrahim N, Laili Z, Omar M, Hamzah S. Natural radioactivity measurements in the granite rock of quarry sites, Johor, Malaysia. Radiation Physics Chemistry. 2012; 81:1842‑7.
Iranian Journal of Medical Physics
Volume 16, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
July and August 2019
Pages 307-313

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 26 July 2018
  • Revise Date: 18 September 2018
  • Accept Date: 22 September 2018

Share

How to cite

Statistics