Natural Radioactivity Evaluation of Local Soil used as Building Materials in Xinchang Section of Beishan Pre-selected Area, Northwest China

Abstract

To investigate the radiation background level of jijicao block and rock mass around Xinchang section in the pre-selected area of Beishan, northwest China, the relevant soil samples and data have been obtained, and the natural radioactivity of the soil samples has been measured by gamma-ray spectroscopy with hyper-pure germanium detector. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in soil samples are determined as 23.72 (from 11.2 to 48.6 Bq.kg-1), 28.72 (from 11.9 to 33.0 Bq.kg-1) and 612.93 Bq.kg-1 (from 244.0 to 907.0 Bq.kg-1), respectively, which are all lower than the Jiuquan background values, among which the concentration of 40K is higher than UNSCEAR 2008 and Beishan background value. The calculated data of radium equivalent, representative level index, external standard, internal standard, and annual effective dose are less than the recommended limits. Therefore, it can be concluded that the building being constructed of the materials is safe for the inhabitants. The findings from this research will be useful to assess the radiation hazards of building materials in humans. It is valuable for the environmental impact assessment of the underground research laboratory of high-level radioactive waste and the assessment of the hazard of radioactive building materials to human body.