Study of Natural Radioactivity in Building Materials, and their Radiological Impact Assessment, in Marsa Matrouh Governorate, Egypt

Fifty samples of ten types of building materials were collected from different locations of Marsa Matrouh Governorate, Egypt, and were analyzed using a gamma ray spectroscopy system. From the results, the observed values in the specific activities of ²²⁶-Ra, ²³²-Th and K-⁴⁰ were within the national and international levels (10 Bq/kg for ²²⁶-Ra and 30 Bq/kg for ²³²-Th and 370 Bq/kg for K-⁴⁰. The radiological hazards were assessed by calculating the radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq ), the indoor absorbed gamma dose rate (DR), annual effective dose rate (HR), alpha index (Iα), gamma index (I γ ), and external hazard (H_ex ) and internal hazard (H_in ) indices. The estimated mean value of the absorbed dose rate of 117.63 nGy h ^-1 isslightly higher than the world average value of 84 nGy h ^-1, and the annual effective dose in the studied samples is 0. 144 mSv y^-1 ,was lower than the recommended limits. Multivariate statistical methods was applied to determine the existing relationship between radionuclides and radiological health hazard parameters and to identify the maximum contribution of radionuclide in radioactivity. The values of hazard indices were below the recommended levels; therefore, it is concluded that the buildings constructed from such materials are safe for the inhabitants.