First characterisation of natural radioactivity in building materials manufactured in Albania

Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2013 Jul;155(2):217-23. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncs334. Epub 2013 Jan 11.

Abstract

This study focuses on the radiological characterisation of building materials manufactured in Albania by using a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer. The average activity concentrations of (40)K, (226)Ra and (232)Th were, respectively, 644.1±64.2, 33.4 ± 6.4 and 42.2 ± 7.6 Bq kg(-1) in the clay brick samples and 179.7 ± 48.9, 55.0 ± 5.8 and 17.0 ± 3.3 Bq kg(-1) in the cement samples. The calculated activity concentration index (ACI), varied from 0.48±0.02 to 0.63±0.04 in the clay brick samples and from 0.29±0.03 to 0.37±0.02 in the cement samples. Based on the ACI, all of the clay brick and cement samples were categorised as A1 materials. The authors can exclude (at 3σ level) any restriction of their use as bulk materials.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Albania
  • Background Radiation*
  • Construction Materials / analysis*
  • Potassium Radioisotopes / analysis*
  • Radiation Monitoring
  • Radium / analysis*
  • Spectrometry, Gamma
  • Thorium / analysis*

Substances

  • Potassium Radioisotopes
  • Thorium
  • Radium