Determination of Radioactivity in Building Materials and Associated Radiation Hazards by Full Spectrum Analysis Approach

In this study, we used the combination of gamma ray spectroscopy and full spectrum analysis method to calculate the radioactivity concentrations of 40K, 232Th and 226Ra radioisotopes in the building materials. The activities of 40K, 232Th and 226Ra were between (36.79 and 559.82), (1.29 and 36.01) and (1.20 and 32.62) Bq kg−1, respectively. The absorbed dose rate in air (D), the annual effective dose rate (AEDR), the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the external and internal hazard indices (Hex, Hin) in all samples were estimated to assess the level of safety for people living in buildings made of these materials. Finally, the results were compared with international recommended values which showed that applying these materials for construction is not a threat to the population.