Radiometric characterization of zeolite minerals used in many industries and assessment of radiological risks

Abstract

Zeolites are important additives materials which are widely used in different industries such as construction, paper, paint, agriculture, textile, and fertilizer. In this study, radiometric characterization of natural zeolite samples collected from four zeolite open quarries in Western Anatolia in Turkey were determined using a gamma-ray spectrometry with high purity germanium detector. The radiological risks due to the use of zeolite samples as raw materials in cement and concrete production was assessed for adult people by estimating activity concentration index and annual effective dose due to external exposure in indoor. Also, annual effective radiation dose in outdoor and the corresponding lifetime cancer risk were estimated for quarry workers. Average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K measured in seventy-seven zeolite samples were found as 85 ± 4, 129 ± 2 and 1030 ± 24 Bq kg−1, respectively. The radon emanation factor and radon mass exhalation rate of zeolite samples varied from 1 to 9% with an average of 4% and 1.8–15.1 μBq kg−1 s−1 with an average of 7.2 ± 0.3 μBq kg−1 s−1, respectively. The data were compared with criteria or limit values. The results revealed that usage of the examined zeolite samples as building raw materials would not cause any significant radiological risk.