Photon attenuation, natural radioactivity content and radon exhalation rate of building materials

Petropoulos, NP; Anagnostakis, MJ; Simopoulos, SE

dc.contributor.author	Petropoulos, NP	en
dc.contributor.author	Anagnostakis, MJ	en
dc.contributor.author	Simopoulos, SE	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T11:44:31Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T11:44:31Z
dc.date.issued	2002	en
dc.identifier.issn	0265-931X	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/36992
dc.subject	Building materials	en
dc.subject	Linear attenuation coefficient	en
dc.subject	Low-energy photons	en
dc.subject	Radioactive disequilibrium	en
dc.subject	Radon exhalation rate	en
dc.subject	Self-absorption	en
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Sciences	en
dc.subject.other	Fly ash	en
dc.subject.other	Photons	en
dc.subject.other	Radioisotopes	en
dc.subject.other	Radon	en
dc.subject.other	Spectroscopic analysis	en
dc.subject.other	Photon energy	en
dc.subject.other	Radioactivity	en
dc.subject.other	potassium 40	en
dc.subject.other	radioisotope	en
dc.subject.other	radon 222	en
dc.subject.other	thorium 232	en
dc.subject.other	uranium 238	en
dc.subject.other	building stone	en
dc.subject.other	radionuclide	en
dc.subject.other	attenuation	en
dc.subject.other	building	en
dc.subject.other	building material	en
dc.subject.other	calibration	en
dc.subject.other	electric power plant	en
dc.subject.other	energy	en
dc.subject.other	exhalation	en
dc.subject.other	measurement	en
dc.subject.other	natural radioactivity	en
dc.subject.other	photon	en
dc.subject.other	radioactivity	en
dc.subject.other	short survey	en
dc.subject.other	Air Pollution, Indoor	en
dc.subject.other	Construction Materials	en
dc.subject.other	Models, Theoretical	en
dc.subject.other	Photons	en
dc.subject.other	Radioisotopes	en
dc.subject.other	Radon	en
dc.subject.other	Spectrum Analysis	en
dc.subject.other	Fraxinus	en
dc.title	Photon attenuation, natural radioactivity content and radon exhalation rate of building materials	en
heal.type	other	en
heal.identifier.primary	10.1016/S0265-931X(01)00132-1	en
heal.identifier.secondary	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0265-931X(01)00132-1	en
heal.language	English	en
heal.publicationDate	2002	en
heal.abstract	High concentrations of natural radionuclides in building materials can result in high dose rates indoors, from both internal and external exposure. In dose calculations, the main radionuclides of interest are Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40. Usually much attention is paid to Ra-226 due to Rn-222 exhalation and the subsequent internal exposure. Other radionuclides of the uranium series such as U-238 and Pb-210, emitting low energy photons are not usually determined and an assumption of radioactive equilibrium is made. The above assumption is seldom checked mainly because of the difficulties in the gamma-spectroscopic analysis of low energy photons. For the determination of radionuclides emitting low-energy photons, in samples like building materials where intense self-absorption of the photons exists, a method for self-absorption correction has been developed. The method needs as input the linear attenuation coefficient mu for the material under analysis. This paper presents: 1. Correlations in the form mu=f(rho,E) developed for the estimation of the linear attenuation coefficient mu (cm(-1)), as a function of the material packing density rho (g cm(-3)) and the photon energy E (keV), for building materials as well as other materials of environmental importance. 2. Gamma-spectroscopic analysis techniques used for the determination of U-238, Ra-226, Pb-210, Th-232 and K-40 in environmental samples, together with the results obtained from the analysis of building materials used in Greece, and industrial by-products used for the production of building materials. Among the techniques used, one is based on the direct determination of Ra-226 and U-235 from the analysis of the multiplet photopeak at similar to186 keV. 3. Results from radon exhalation measurements of building materials such as cement and fly-ash and building structures conducted in the radon chambers in our Laboratory. Based on the above results, dosimetric calculations are also reported. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.	en
heal.publisher	ELSEVIER SCI LTD	en
heal.journalName	Journal of Environmental Radioactivity	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1016/S0265-931X(01)00132-1	en
dc.identifier.isi	ISI:000176926000001	en
dc.identifier.volume	61	en
dc.identifier.issue	3	en
dc.identifier.spage	257	en
dc.identifier.epage	269	en