Basic aspects of natural radioactivity

Author(s)

Konstantin Kovler, Harry Friedmann, B. Michalik, Wouter Schroeyers, A. Tsapalov, S. Antropov, T. Bituh, D. Nicolaides

Abstract

The chapter deals with basic aspects related to natural ionizing radioactivity and focuses on the main parameters to be controlled in building products. The definitions of ionizing radioactivity in general, parent and daughter nuclides, different types of ionizing radiation (i.e., alpha, beta, gamma, and X-rays), external and internal radiation, naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), and naturally occurring radionuclides (NOR), are introduced and explained. The structure of radiation dose is discussed. It is shown that 80% of the dose has natural origin and besides medicine, only about 1% comes from artificial radioactivity, while the major segment of the natural radiation comes from the exposure to radon (including thoron).It is concluded that the main parameter characterizing the external radiation dose, created solely by building materials of mineral origin, is the activity concentration of the three main natural radionuclides:

²³²Th,

²²⁶Ra (in a state of radioactive equilibrium with the short-lived radon decay products), and

⁴⁰K, while the main parameters characterizing radon emanation and exhalation rate from building products are the radon emanation coefficient and the radon exhalation rate. Additional parameters characterizing the rate of radon release from the material are the radium activity concentration, the radon diffusion coefficient, product thickness, and density.

Organisation(s)

Isotope Physics

External organisation(s)

Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Glowny Instytut Gornictwa, Hasselt University, Scientific and Technical Centre “AMPLITUDA”, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Frederick University

Pages

13-36

No. of pages

24

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102009-8.00003-7

Publication date

2017

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

201105 Construction material practice, 103014 Nuclear physics

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Science(all)

Portal url

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/basic-aspects-of-natural-radioactivity(27c22500-c120-47cf-a007-1c2e494ec04b).html