Gamma spectroscopic investigation of construction materials from Rajasthan, India: Assessment of radioactivity and radiological hazards

Gamma spectroscopic investigation of construction materials from Rajasthan, India: Assessment of radioactivity and radiological hazards

Článek WoS

This study focused on assessing the radioactivity of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40, along with their radiological health impacts in cement, marble slurry, and lime (CaO) samples used as construction materials collected from Rajasthan, India. The activity concentrations of Ra-226, and Th-232, with averages of 49.4 and 63.0 Bq kg(-1), respectively, were higher than the world average. Consequently, the radium equivalent (Ra-eq) in cement samples was 154.5 Bq kg(-1), exceeding the world average of 129.6 Bq kg(-1) but remaining below the safety guideline of 370 Bq kg(-1). In contrast, the levels of Ra-226, Th-232, K-40, and Ra-eq in marble slurry and CaO were well below the world average. Notably, there is no existing literature on the radioactivity of CaO, a primary construction material in India, making this the first study to report on its radiological implications. The various parameters such as hazard indices (H-ex, H-in), level indices (I-alpha, I-gamma), and activity utilization index (I) have been studied in all sample types for health risk assessment and found to be within permissible limits. Cement samples were found to have higher average ELCR resulting from AEDE which is derived from AGDR values in both indoor and outdoor environments compared to marble slurry and CaO samples. Hence, the average ELCR values resulting from AEDE which were derived from AGDR in both indoor and outdoor environments follow the trend: (ELCR)(Cement) > (ELCR)(Slurry) > (ELCR)(Lime).

This study focused on assessing the radioactivity of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40, along with their radiological health impacts in cement, marble slurry, and lime (CaO) samples used as construction materials collected from Rajasthan, India. The activity concentrations of Ra-226, and Th-232, with averages of 49.4 and 63.0 Bq kg(-1), respectively, were higher than the world average. Consequently, the radium equivalent (Ra-eq) in cement samples was 154.5 Bq kg(-1), exceeding the world average of 129.6 Bq kg(-1) but remaining below the safety guideline of 370 Bq kg(-1). In contrast, the levels of Ra-226, Th-232, K-40, and Ra-eq in marble slurry and CaO were well below the world average. Notably, there is no existing literature on the radioactivity of CaO, a primary construction material in India, making this the first study to report on its radiological implications. The various parameters such as hazard indices (H-ex, H-in), level indices (I-alpha, I-gamma), and activity utilization index (I) have been studied in all sample types for health risk assessment and found to be within permissible limits. Cement samples were found to have higher average ELCR resulting from AEDE which is derived from AGDR values in both indoor and outdoor environments compared to marble slurry and CaO samples. Hence, the average ELCR values resulting from AEDE which were derived from AGDR in both indoor and outdoor environments follow the trend: (ELCR)(Cement) > (ELCR)(Slurry) > (ELCR)(Lime).

Radionuclides; Construction materials; HPGe detector; Hazard level; Gamma dose

Radionuclides; Construction materials; HPGe detector; Hazard level; Gamma dose

DEGRA, S.; BAWALIA, N.; YADAV, V.; MALVIYA, R.; MEENA, R.; MEENA, P.; GILL, R.; TIWARI, S.; KAINTURA, S.; SINGH, P.; KATOVSKÝ, K.; MAKWANA, R.; NASKAR, N.; MEENA, D.; GUPTA, S.

2026

01.12.2025

Elsevier

Applied Radiation and Isotopes

226

112195

Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

13

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969804325005408?via%3Dihub