Evaluation of natural radioactivity levels and potential radiological hazards of common building materials utilized in Mediterranean region, Turkey

Radiometric measurement of building materials is very important to assess the internal and external exposure caused by the ionizing radiation emitted from terrestrial radionuclides in building materials. The activity concentrations of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40 in fifty-eight samples of fifteen different structural and covering building materials commonly used in Osmaniye province located in the Mediterranean region of Turkey were measured by using gamma-ray spectroscopy. The activity concentrations of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40 varied from 2.5 +/- 0.1 (marble) to 145.7 +/- 4.4 (clay brick), 1.3 +/- 0.1 (marble) to 154.3 +/- 4.1 (marble), and 8.6 +/- 0.2 (sand) to 1044.1 +/- 70.3 (granite), respectively. Radiological parameters (activity concentration index, alpha index, indoor absorbed gamma dose rate and the corresponding annual effective dose rate, and excess lifetime cancer risk) were estimated to evaluate the health hazards associated with these building materials. Since the estimated values of these parameters are within the recommended safety limits or criteria values, the use of the studied building materials in the construction of dwellings can be considered to be safe for the residents of the region.