Assessment of radiometric standard and potential health risks from building materials used in Bangladeshi dwellings

Accurate knowledge of the terrestrial radionuclides concentrations in building components is crucial for radiation exposure assessment to the dwellers. The present investigation determines the natural radioactivity levels in common building materials (the structural and decorative) used in Bangladeshi dwellings via HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry. The measured activity levels of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the studied materials ranged between 7.33 ± 3.49 and 157.13 ± 13.03 Bq kg−1, 4.08 ± 1.84 and 131.65 ± 6.87 Bq kg−1 and 128.38 ± 10.27 and 1234.5 ± 39.77 Bq kg−1, respectively. Majority of the studied materials, especially the cement and paint, show the elevated concentrations of terrestrial radionuclides. However, for most of the samples, the total activity in terms of hazardous radium, show lower…