Radioactive investigation of Malaysia’s building materials containing NORM and potential radiological risks analysis using RESRAD-BUILD computer code

ABSTRACT

The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides from 80 samples of Malaysia’s building materials sourced from either manufacturers or local suppliers were studied using high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The radiological hazards associated with building materials under study were evaluated by calculating radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq). The calculated values of Ra_eq range from 29.7 ± 0.9 to 564.8 ± 13.6 Bq kg⁻¹ with an overall average value of 198.1 ± 98.5 Bq kg⁻¹. The calculated activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰ K were further subjected to RESRAD-BUILD computer code with a view to determine long-term indoor external and internal doses received by a dweller from zero to 70 years. A significant variation in the indoor doses from zero to 30 years was observed while a relatively constant behaviour was observed from 30 to 70 years. The assessment of the indoor doses also showed that the indoor doses from walls are significantly high compared with indoor doses from the room floor. The calculated Ra_eq and long-term projection of indoor doses received by the dweller was below the recommended maximum values of 370 Bq kg⁻¹ and 1000 µSv y⁻¹, respectively. Therefore, the potential radiological hazards associated with building materials under study are negligible.

KEYWORDS:

• Building material
• radium equivalent activity
• RESRAD-BUILD computer code
• indoor external dose
• indoor internal dose

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge all lab technician of Nuclear Science Program, UKM for their technical support throughout the works and Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria for providing the study fellowship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria and partly supported by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia under grant number [GGPM-2017-084].