Avances en la investigación en ciencias aplicadas Acceso abierto

Abstracto

Radon Exhalation and Natural Radioactivity Levels of Raw Materials Used Building Industry in Basra Governorate in Iraq

Jabbar Jebur H, Ali Farhan Nader and Abdul Subber RH

Building materials are one of the potential source of indoor radioactivity because of the naturally occurring radionuclides in them, therefore determined the levels of natural radioactivity and radon exhalation rate from these materials is very important. This work presents measurements, comprehensive and analyses study of natural radioactivity in building materials. For this purpose, 14 types of building material, i.e., brick, cement, gypsum, sand, gravel and brick were, used in building Basra Governorate in Iraq. Radon and its exhalation rate were, measured by using "sealed can technique" using CR-39 nuclear track detector. The activity concentrations radionuclides, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K was measured using gamma spectroscopy with NaI(TI) detector. According to the results of this investigation, brick samples had maximum values of the mean radon contribution concentration and 226Ra concentrations, 279 Bq/m3 and 9 Bq/kg, respectively. All activity concentrations radionuclides, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in raw materials (single), are low comparable with UNSCEAR estimation. For group of raw materials included in construction, became high activity concentration.