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 | Volume 9, Number 2 (9-2011) |  | |
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 | Assessment of radiological hazards due to soil and building materials used in Mirpur Azad Kashmir; Pakistan |  |
| | Author(s): M. Rafique *, H. Rehman, Matiullah, F. Malik, M.U. Rajput, S.U. Rahman , M.H. Rathore | | * - Department of Physics, University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Muzaffarbad, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan , mrafique@gmail.com | | Study Type: Original Research | Subject: Radiation Biology | | | Article abstract: | |
Background: Health hazards associated with
exposure due to the natural radioactivity which is a
part of our physical environment are of great
concern. In order to assess the risks associated with
exposure due to the natural radioactivity in soil and
building materials, extensive studies have been
carried out all over the world. The most commonly
encountered radionuclide’s are 238U, 232Th, their
decay products and 40K. Materials and Methods: In
order to study the concentration of these radionuclides
soil, sand, gravel aggregates, bricks and
marble, samples were collected from different sites
and local suppliers of the district Mirpur, Azad
Kashmir (Pakistan). 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K activities in
the collected samples were measured using HPGe
detector. The measured specific radioactivity
concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the studied
samples ranged from 10 ±1 to 47 ± 2, 18 ± 1 to 75
± 4 and 40 ± 3 to 683 ±3 Bq.kg-1, respectively.
Results: From the measured activity concentration,
radium equivalent activity, external and internal
hazard indices, gamma and alpha indices, terrestrial
absorbed dose and annual effective dose were
calculated. Maximum value of radium equivalent
activity of 197.1 ± 9 Bq.kg-1 was observed in soil
sample whereas minimum value of 45.9 ± 2 Bq.kg-1
was found in gravel aggregates. Relatively higher
mean values of hazard indices were found in brick
samples. Annual effective dose varied from 0.06 ±
0.01 to 0.47 ± 0.02 mSv.y-1. Conclusion: Current
values of annual effective dose, radium equivalent
activity and hazard indices have been found to be
within the recommended limits. Iran. J. Radiat. Res.,
2011; 9(2): 77-87
| | | Keywords: Building materials, radiological hazards, radium equivalent activity, annual effective dose, external and internal hazard indices, | |
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