Assessment of Natural Radionuclides Content and Radon Exhalation of Clay Pulverized Fly Ash Bricks

Abstract

The bulk of bricks made worldwide are burnt clay bricks, and this volume of manufacture requires 230 - 242 million m3 of agricultural land. This corresponds to 25,500 hectares of rich farmland at a depth of 1 meter. This type of exploitation will have a substantial detrimental impact on national food security. According to the present need, efficient use of industrial waste, such as fly ash, is necessary. So it becomes very important to limit the removal of top soil to build bricks and to encourage the use of pulverized fly ash (PFA) instead. So it is essential to examine the levels of radioactivity from natural sources and the amount at which radon is exhaled from building materials to manage the exposure of occupants to natural radiation. The radioactivity concentration of nuclides is determined using a high-resolution sodium iodide with a thallium activator gamma spectrometer. Radon exhalation rates were examined in the exhalation chamber using a hermetically shaped container and observing the activity over time. The focus of this research is to examine the radioactive concentration levels of radium, thorium, and potassium, as well as radon exhalation rates of Clay-Pulverized Fly Ash bricks mixed in different proportions. All radiation hazard factors linked with the radioactive nuclide and radon exhalation rates of clay pulverized fly ash bricks are examined and compared to the recommended limits from the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) data.