Assessment of Natural Radioactivity and Monitoring of Radiological Hazards in Construction Materials from Kerala, India

Abstract

Evaluating the natural radioactivity in construction materials is significant, particularly considering the prevailing belief that our homes offer the safest living environments. To investigate this, 38 samples of building materials were collected from highly populated residential areas within the Malappuram district in Kerala, India. The levels of naturally occurring radionuclides (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K) were quantified using a NaI (Tl) detector. Radiological indices, such as radium equivalent, absorbed dose rate, effective dose rate, hazard indices, alpha index, gamma index, and cancer risk, were calculated for the samples. The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰ K ranged from 8.84 ± 0.3 (flooring oxide) to 46.84 ± 2.11Bq/kg (rock samples), 11.84 ± 0.2 (pumice sample) to 130.21 ± 8Bq/kg (granite sample), and 58.63 ± 4 (pumice) to 1024.32 ± 22Bq/kg (granite) with an average of 25.80 ± 4.61, 55.05 ± 6.2, and 392.30 ± 16 Bq/kg. (average ± standard deviation), respectively. As a result, all of these computed parameters fell within safe limits. The examined building materials were found to have a negligible impact on radiation exposure, posing no significant radiation risks to residents. Researchers utilized statistical techniques to understand the interrelationships and similarities among radionuclides and radiological characteristics across samples, including Pearson correlation, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis.