Concentration of radionuclides in building and ceramic materials of Bangladesh and evaluation of radiation hazard

Chowdhury, M. I.; Alam, M.N.; Ahmed, Amir

doi:10.1007/bf02388016

Cited by 70 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…In addition, the identity and geographic origin of the stones included in this study is not known precisely because naming practices for granite are not standardized (Anjos et al, 2005). Nonetheless, the activity concentrations for 40 K, and the 232 Th and 226 Ra series observed in these stones are within the range reported for granite building materials in the scientific literature (Mustonen, 1984;NCRP, 1987a;Mustapha et al, 1997;Chowdhury, Alam and Ahmed, 1998;European Commission, 1999;Lee, Kim, Lee and Kang, 2001;IAEA, 2003;Kumar, Sengupta and Prasada, 2003;Arafa, 2004;Ahmed, 2005;ICRP, 2005;Al-Saleh and Al-Berzan, 2007;El-Taher, Uosif and Orabi, 2007;Lu, Wang, Jia and Wang, 2007;Ghosh et al, 2008;Kitto, Haines and Diaz Arauzo, 2008;Mujahid et al, 2008). Therefore, these samples of granite intended for use as interior work surfaces contain amounts of naturally occurring radioactive materials that are similar to levels in other types of granite building materials reported in the literature for which larger numbers of samples have been examined.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…A number of studies have reported on the concentrations of natural radionuclides (i.e., activity concentrations) for granite samples obtained from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, South Korea, China, Brazil, Kenya, and Finland (Mustonen, 1984;NCRP, 1987a;Mustapha et al, 1997;Chowdhury et al, 1998;European Commission, 1999;Lee et al, 2001;IAEA, 2003;Kumar et al, 2003;Arafa, 2004;Ahmed, 2005;ICRP, 2005;Al-Saleh and Al-Berzan, 2007;El-Taher et al, 2007;Lu et al, 2007;Ghosh et al, 2008;Kitto et al, 2008;Mujahid et al, 2008). Although the activity concentrations for the majority of those samples were below health-based screening levels and exposure guidelines used in the US, Europe, and elsewhere, a portion of the granite samples had a radiation hazard index that exceeded the European Commission (EC) screening value for limited use as superficial building materials (external dose of 0.3 mSv/a) (European Commission, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing exposure to granite countertops—part 1: Radiation

Myatt¹,

Allen²,

Minegishi³

et al. 2009

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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Humans are continuously exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation. Known sources include radon, soil, cosmic rays, medical treatment, food, and building products such as gypsum board and concrete. Little information exists about radiation emissions and associated doses from natural stone finish materials such as granite countertops in homes. To address this knowledge gap, gross radioactivity, g ray activity, and dose rate were determined for slabs of granite marketed for use as countertops. Annual effective radiation doses were estimated from measured dose rates and human activity patterns while accounting for the geometry of granite countertops in a model kitchen. Gross radioactivity, g activity, and dose rate varied significantly among and within slabs of granite with ranges for median levels at the slab surface of ND to 3000 cpm, ND to 98,000 cpm, and ND to 1.5EÀ4 mSv/h, respectively. The maximum activity concentrations of the 40 K, 232 Th, and 226 Ra series were 2715, 231, and 450 Bq/kg, respectively. The estimated annual radiation dose from spending 4 h/day in a hypothetical kitchen ranged from 0.005 to 0.18 mSv/a depending on the type of granite. In summary, our results show that the types of granite characterized in this study contain varying levels of radioactive isotopes and that their observed emissions are consistent with those reported in the scientific literature. We also conclude from our analyses that these emissions are likely to be a minor source of external radiation dose when used as countertop material within the home and present a negligible risk to human health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing exposure to granite countertops—part 1: Radiation

Myatt¹,

Allen²,

Minegishi³

et al. 2009

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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“…The absorbed dose rate, D (nGy/h) in air at 1m above the ground level owing to the concentration of The mass exhalation rate (E Rn ) and emanation rate coefficient of radon (C Rn ) that can diffuse through the raw and building materials is also a very important radiological index used to evaluate the amount of the 222 Rn emanation fraction released from the building raw materials and products containing naturally occurring radionuclides such as 222 Rn in radioactive equilibrium with its parent. The emanation coefficient of radon (C Rn ) was determined [21] according to:…”

Section: Radiological Hazards For Marble and Granite Used At Shak El mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mass exhalation rate of radon is the product of the emanation coefficient of radon (E Ra ) and production rate of radon [21]. The mass exhalation rate (E Rn in Bq/kg·s) is determined using the following equation:  Ra accompanied each other and that the individual result for any one of the radionuclide concentration is a good predictor of the concentration of the other.…”

Section: Radiological Hazards For Marble and Granite Used At Shak El mentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiological Hazards for Marble and Granite Used at Shak El Thouban Industrial Zone in Egypt

Sroor¹,

Darwish²,

El-Bahi³

et al. 2013

JEP

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The background level of radiation in the natural environment surrounds us at all times. Levels of natural occurring radioactivity in marble and granite used at Shak El Thouban industrial zone in Cairo, Egypt have been investigated using HPGe detector through gamma-ray spectrometry. Concerning the radiological risk, the radium equivalent activity, external and internal radiation hazard indices, the radiation level index and absorbed dose rate were evaluated. The mass exhalation rates of 222 Rn and emanation coefficient have been also calculated. The mass exhalation rate of radon was found to be from 14.86 to 137.13 and 16.48 to 155.26 µBq/kg·s for marble and granite samples, respectively. The mean values of the specific activity of 226 Ra, activity of 238 U before and after sealing time and the mass exhalation rate of radon for granite samples are twice that for marble samples. All radiological indices and the mass exhalation rate of radon are lower than the permissible levels for building material in all marble samples, while all granite samples are higher and unsafe and pose a risk to the workers and users of these products due to the emanation of radon that may accumulate by time, especially in closed spaces.

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“…To address these problems, it is necessary to know the dose limits of public exposures and to measure the natural environmental radiation level for the estimation of the exposures to natural radiation sources [5]. Many studies have investigated the levels of natural background radiationby in situ measurements or by analysis of radionuclideconcentration in sand samples [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%