Assessment of natural radioactivity and radiation hazards in volcanic tuff stones using as building and decoration materials in Cappadocia region, Turkey

by Dr Meltem Degerlier (Nevsehir University Science and Art Faculty Physics Department, Nevsehir Turkey)

Friday 15 Jun 2012, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Rome

LAE (INFN-LNL)

The activity concentrations of uranium, thorium and potassium can vary from material to material and it should be measured as the radiation is hazardous for human health. Thus first study have been planned to obtain radioactivity of building and decoration material used in Cappadocia region of Turkey. The concentrations of natural radionuclides in 6 different volcanic tuff stones which commonly use as building and decoration material around Cappadocia region,Turkey were determined using gamma ray spectroscopy with an HPGe detector and the chemical name and formula of stones were determined by X-ray diffactometer for powder. Indoor absorbed gamma dose rate in air (Din), radium equivalent activities (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), internal hazard index (Hin), alpha and gamma index associated with the natural radionuclide are calculated to assess the radiation hazard of the natural radioactivity in the different of volcanic tuff stones. The average activity concentration of 238U, 232Th and 40K were found to be 50.7, 58.6, 717.6 Bq kg-1, respectively. Average indoor annual effective dose equivalent is 0.1 mSv . The calculated Raeq are values vary from 60.31 Bq kg-1 to 281.32 Bq kg-1 with a mean of 189.78 Bq kg-1. The average indoor absorbed dose rate for volcanic tuff stones were calculated to be 21,18 nGy h-1.