Measurement of Natural Radioactivity, Radon Exhalation Rate and Radiation Hazard Assessment in Indian Cement Samples

AbstractBuilding materials are assumed to be the second source of Radon inside buildings. Due to low level of radon emanation from these materials, long term measurements are needed. Radiation doses from the building materials vary depending upon the natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and their daughter products and 40K present in them. Cement is the main and important component used in the construction of buildings in many countries. These radio nuclides pose exposure risk due to their gamma ray emission and internally due to radon and its progeny that emit alpha particles. In the present study radon exhalation rate and the activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides in cement samples used in Aligarh region (U.P.), India have been measured by “Sealed Can technique” using LR-115 type II detectors and a low level NaI (Tl) based gamma ray spectrometer, respectively. From the measurements activity concentration of radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and 40K vary from 9 to 28 Bq kg-1, 21 to 43 Bq kg-1 and 280 to 554 Bq kg-1 with overall average value of 19 Bq kg-1,35 Bq kg-1 and 406.7 Bq kg -1 respectively. Radon equivalent activity (Raeq) and external hazard index (Hex) have been found to vary from 60.8 to 121 Bq kg-1 and 0.16 to 0.30 respectively. The values are lower than the recommended safe values

Distribution of natural radionuclide along Main Central Thrust in Garhwal Himalaya

Study of natural radionuclide is important to assess the radiation level in a particular area. Radionuclide present in earth's crust is different for different geological areas because of the variety of soil and rocks present in a particular area. In present study, the estimation of natural radionuclides have been carried out along the Main Central Thrust (MCT) in Uttarkashi, Budhakedar, Ukhimath and Healang regions of Garhwal Himalaya, India. The large variations in the radionuclide distribution have been estimated along the Main Central Thrust. The 226Ra, 232Th and 40K contents in MCT area varies from 8 ± 1 Bq.kg−1 to 285 ± 28 Bq.kg−1 with an average of 64 Bq.kg−1, 7 ± 1 Bq.kg−1 to 136 ± 15 Bq.kg−1 with an average 69 Bq.kg−1 and 115 ± 18 Bq.kg−1 to 1588 ± 162 Bq.kg−1 with an average 792 Bq.kg−1, respectively. The radon exhalation rate and radon concentration in the soil of study area varies from 2.20 × 10−5 Bq.kg−1h−1 to 3.2 × 10−5 Bq.kg−1h−1 and 287 Bq/m3 to 417 Bq/m3, respectively. It was observed that the distribution of natural radionuclide in the soil of study area is not uniform and concentrated along geological active region. These values of radionuclide and radon mass exhalation rate may be used as baseline data for further study in the area. Keywords: Radionuclide, Radium, Thorium, Radon, Dos

Measurements of radon and thoron concentrations in high radiation background area using pin-hole dosimeter

In present investigation, newly designed twin cup pin-hole dosimeter with LR-115 track detector has been used for the integrated measurements of radon and thoron in the environmental air of a high background radiation area in coastal Orissa. The twin cup dosimeters were calibrated before installation in the field. The calibration experiment was made in an inter calibration exercise at NIRS, Chiba, Japan.The resulting calibration factors were used to obtain the values of radon and thoron in the study area. Radon and thoron concentrations in the houses of study area were found to vary from 24 Bq/m3 to 98 Bq/m3 and 46 Bq/m3 to 689 Bq/m3, respectively. The indoor and outdoor gamma dose rates in the study areavary from 0.124 mGy/h to 0.257 mGy/h and 0.109 mGy/h to 0.361 mGy/h, respectively. The annual effective dose due to the exposure to indoor radon and progeny was found to vary from 0.70 mSv to 2.84 mSv with an average value of 1.73 mSv. However, the annual effective dose due to the exposure to thoron andprogeny was found to vary from 1.16 mSv to 17.36 mSv with an average value of 7.36 mSv. Thoron concentration and gamma dose rate were found relatively higher in the area