Multivariate statistical assessment of natural radioactivity and radiological hazards data of cement building materials mainly used in Cameroon

The present study aimed to assess radioactivity level in thirty cement samples from five main cement types manufactured and commonly used in Cameroon using a gamma-ray spectrometric technique based-Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe-6530 model) Canberra coaxial detector. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40 K in cement samples varied from 9.49 to 33.24, 15.54 to 48.15, and 60.78 to 285.7 Bq kg−1, respectively. Radiological parameters and hazard indexes such as the Radium equivalent activity, the outdoor and indoor absorbed gamma dose rate, the outdoor and indoor annual effective dose, the outdoor and indoor excess lifetime cancer risk, the annual gonadal dose equivalent, the activity utilization index, the representative level index, the external and internal hazard indexes, and the gamma and alpha indexes were assessed and compared with the recommended standard exposure limits. The comparison revealed that the calculated hazard parameters and hazard indexes are lower than the recommended limits. The cluster and factor analysis, coupled with Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, was used to identify and clarify the existing relationship between the radiological parameters and natural radioactivity concentrations in samples of building materials used in Cameroon. The results show that it yields five associated sample groups of building materials and three distinctive groups of radiological variables. Moreover, the perpetual monitoring level of health hazard due to natural radioactivity in building materials from Cameroon should be intensified to avoid unwanted outdoor and indoor radiation exposure to dwellers.