Assessment of natural radioactivity levels and radiation hazards due to cement industry

The cement industry is considered as one of the basic industries that plays an important role in the national economy of developing countries. Activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in Assiut cement and other local cement types from different Egyptian factories has been measured by using gamma-ray spectrometry. From the measured gamma-ray spectra, specific activities were determined. The measured activity concentrations for these natural radionuclides were compared with the reported data for other countries. The average values obtained for (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K activity concentration in different types of cement are lower than the corresponding global values reported in UNSCEAR publications. The obtained results show that the averages of radiation hazard parameters for Assiut cement factory are lower than the acceptable level of 370 Bq kg(-1) for radium equivalent Ra(eq), 1 for level index 1 gamma r, the external hazard index Hex <= 1 and 59 (nGy h(-1)) for absorbed dose rate. The manufacturing operation reduces the radiation hazard parameters. Cement does not pose a significant radiological hazard when used for construction of buildings. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.