Natural radioactivity of bricks and brick material in the Salihli-Turgutlu area of Turkey

Some of the rocks and soil-originated materials used in building construction are the serious natural radiation sources. Soil-originated bricks and roof-tiles and their raw material in the Salihli-Turgutlu area were tested in situ for natural radiation levels using a gamma-ray spectrometer. The concentrations of the radioelements 40K, 238U and 232Th and air-absorbed radiation rates were measured for soil, raw material heaps, brick and roof-tile stacks and waste brick heaps. The radium-equivalent activity Raeq of the raw material varied between 187.9 and 216.4 Bq kg−1. The external radiation hazard index Hex values ranged between 0.51 and 0.58. For building material and its products, recommended Raeq and Hex levels are 370 Bq kg-1 and 1.0, respectively. On the other hand, both Raeq and Hex values for waste brick heaps, containing broken brick pieces, coal pieces and ash, were higher than the recommended levels, i.e. Raeq values varied from 473.8 to 651.0 Bq kg-1 and Hex values were within the range 1.15–1.76. The annual dose rate and radium-equivalent activity values of the brick and roof-tiles were below the level of criteria. Annual dose rate ranged between 0.42 and 0.62 mSv y−1 and radium equivalent activity was in the range 172.9–245.2 Bq kg−1. The external and internal radiation hazard indices were all below the value of 1.0 for the Salihli-Turgutlu area bricks and roof-tiles. Results of this study were compared with results of previous studies. Natural radiation levels of construction raw material of study area are generally higher than of those of previous studies.