Title: Assessment of the possible radiological hazard caused from marble and granite tails commercially available in Egypt

Authors: A.M.A. Mostafa

Addresses: Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch, 71542 Assiut, Egypt

Abstract: This paper reports the natural radioactivity and possible radiological hazards in different types of local and imported marble and granite tiles used as covering building materials in Egypt. Gamma-ray spectrometry was used to estimate the ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K activity concentrations. The obtained values were found in the ranges 15-73, 29-203, and 50-253 Bq kg⁻¹ in marbles and 23-179, 78-317, 113-1207 Bq kg⁻¹ in granites for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K, respectively. Using indirect methods radon exhalation rates were calculated, the obtained values varied from 2.1 to 9.7 and from 3-23.9 Bq m⁻² h⁻¹ for marble and granite samples, respectively. Radon concentrations in the room caused by marble and granite samples were also estimated. Under normal ventilation (0.5 h⁻¹), the obtained values were below reference level (100 Bq m⁻³) recommended by World Health Organization. Most values of external annual dose and annual doses due to the indoor radon exposure (E_Rn) were within recommended.

Keywords: gamma ray; radon exhalation; radiation risks; building materials; low radiation; radiological hazards; marble tiles; granite tiles; Egypt; natural radioactivity; indoor radon exposure.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2016.081466

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2016 Vol.10 No.3, pp.244 - 254

Received: 25 May 2016
Accepted: 06 Nov 2016
Published online: 09 Jan 2017 *

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