Natural Radioactivity Content in Concrete of Some Buildings and Associated Radiation Exposure Values for Building Occupants

Building materials are typically sourced from raw materials like rocks, fly ash, and soil, which naturally contain radioactive elements such as ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K. Since most people spend around 80% of their time indoors, managing indoor radiation exposure is essential to minimize health risks. This requires monitoringradioactivity concentrations in materials used in building construction and in concrete. This study investigated the natural radioactivity levels in some building concretes for this purpose. The concrete samples were taken from 14 different buildings in 12 different provinces of Türkiye and the radioactivity contents of these concrete samples were measured using a high-purity germanium detector (HPGe). It was found that the radioactivity concentrations in the concrete samples ranged from 1.32 (Çorum) to 47.44 Bq/kg (Manisa) for ²²⁶Ra, from 3.27 (Çorum) to 26.75 Bq/kg (Antalya) for ²³²Th, and from 17.74 (Bartın) to 171.73 Bq/kg (Samsun) for ⁴⁰K. The radioactivity concentrations found were compared with the values recommended by international organizations. In addition, in order to assess the radiation exposure of the occupants of the building concerned from natural radionuclides, radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), representative level index (Iγ), absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose (AED), and lifetime cancer risk (LCR) values were calculated. This study has shown that there is no radiological risk for the occupants of the buildings in question.