Assessments of natural radioactivity and radiological hazards in construction materials used in Elazig, Turkey

Building materials contain natural radionuclides (238U, 232Th and 40K) and therefore cause direct radiation exposure to the public. The radioactivity content of samples obtained from building materials produced in Elazig city, East Anatolian of Turkey, have been analyzed by gamma-ray spectrometry. However, radium equivalent activities, total and annual effective dose rate and external (gamma), internal (alpha) hazard indexes were calculated and radon concentration, radon specific exhalation rate and effective radium content were measured. Also, indoor radon measurements carried out in each floor (uninhabited) of rough construction (newly construction). The specific concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K, from selected building materials, ranged from 3.5 to 114.1 Bq/kg, 1.6–20.7 Bq/kg and 201.4–4928.0 Bq/kg, respectively. The lowest of Raeq is 36.5 ± 1.8 Bq/kg calculated in bricks while the highest value is 405.2 ± 20.9 Bq/kg in gas concrete. The average indoor radon concentration is 364.3 Bqm−3, which is higher than the global mean value, in newly constructed floor.