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A Review Study of Natural Radioactivity and Radiological Hazards in Building Materials Used in Saudi Arabia |
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PP: 183-204 |
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doi:10.18576/jrna/110301
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Author(s) |
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Z. Z. Al-Full,
H. H. Albanna,
R. S. Al-Otibi,
A. M. Al-Muklfi,
J. Y. Bashawri,
Suzan Saleh Alluhaybi,
L. S. Al- Juhani,
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Abstract |
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| Population exposure to radiation may increase significantly when building materials with high concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides are used, making the assessment of radioactivity levels and radiation hazard indicators for these materials crucial. This research provides a comprehensive review of naturally occurring radionuclide concentrations. 226Ra, 232Th, 232Th , 40K in six types of building materials: sand, gypsum, cement, marble, granite, and ceramic, as well as calculating the radiological risks associated with the use of these materials in dwellings in Saudi Arabia from 2007 to 2025. The calculated radium equivalent activity Raeq (Bq/kg), radiological hazard indices Hex and Hin, absorbed dose rate D (nGyh⁻¹), and indoor/outdoor annual effective dose AED (mSvy⁻¹) exhibited considerable variation among the building materials. The highest recorded values were observed in granite (Raeq =8091.9, Hex = 21.9, Hin = 22.34, D = 9706.3 nGyh⁻¹, AEDin = 30.9 mSvy⁻¹, AEDout = 4.2 mSvy⁻¹), whereas the lowest values were detected in gypsum (Raeq = 1.7, Hex =0.00, Hin =0.01, D = 0.8 nGyh⁻¹, AEDin = 0.00561 mSvy⁻¹, AEDout =0.0014 mSvy⁻¹). Some extreme values (outliers) were observed, particularly in granite and cement, while most materials remained within safe radiological limits. |
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