Assessment of radioactivity and the associated hazards in local cement types used in Tamilnadu, India

• We report the radioactivity content of different brands of cement.
• The assessment of potential radiological hazards of cements are reported.
• From the analysis, the cements are safe to use in construction of inhabited buildings.

Activity concentration of 232Th, 226Ra and 40K in local cement types has been measured using NaI (Tl) gamma spectrometry. The radium equivalent activity (Raeq) of the samples was calculated and compared with similar data reported in the literature. The comparison has revealed that Raeq values obtained fall far below the criterion limit specified for building materials. The potential radiological hazard of the different samples was estimated using different approaches: representative level index and annual dose limit (dose due to gamma radiation inside the room and inhalation of radon). The estimated representative level index for all the samples is less than unity (the upper limit) indicating that the associated gamma radiation level is low. The annual dose limit falls within 0.167 mSv to 0.603 mSv, which is an order of magnitude below the criterion limit specified for building materials in the literature.