TITLE:
Measurements of Natural Radioactivity of Industrial Raw Materials from the West of Saudi Arabia (Arabian Shield)
AUTHORS:
Safia H. Q. Hamidalddin
KEYWORDS:
Arabian, Shield Industrial Raw Materials, Harrat
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Modern Physics,
Vol.6 No.4,
March
30,
2015
ABSTRACT: Rock
samples of industrial raw materials that are used in the building, from the
West of Saudi Arabia (Arabian Shield), have been investigated using X-ray
diffraction to identify the mineral chemical composition. The concentrations of
Al%, Bi, Pb, Th, U, and K in ppm were measured by atomic absorption analysis.
The activity concentrations in Bq/kg dry weight of 226Ra, 232Th
and 40K were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry where the range
and average were found to be (03.04 - 10.91) 07.90, (03.19 - 13.31) 09.14 and (95.59
- 361.52) 234.81 in Basalt, for Granite (33.81 - 89.13) 80.85, (28.42 - 112.77)
68.50 and (1260.13 - 1629.21) 1376.69, for Gold (00.78 - 11.84) 04.73, (01.48 -
4.69) 02.69 and (13.76 - 445.09) 197.58, for Andesite 05.72, 03.73 and 471.93, and
for Marble 01.56, 01.38 and 10.15 respectively. Most results existing within
the given values in building materials by UNSCEAR 1993 included Raeq (Bq/kg), D (nGy/h), Deff (mSv/y), Hex and Hin, which meant
that it was safe for humans.