Radiometric characterisation of more representative natural building materials in the province of Rome.
Natural building materials, characterised by middle-low-activity concentrations of primordial radionuclides ((40)K, (232)Th and (238)U series) are widely used in Italy. Since natural materials reflect the geological variability of their sites of origin, a systematic study was carried out in the province of Rome and the results are reported in this paper. In the present work, in order to evaluate average, minimum and maximum contents of primordial radionuclides, more representative lithologies outcropping on the territory of the province of Rome were identified and around 150 samples were collected. Also, these lithologies were characterised from a radioprotection point of view, by means of the evaluation of the index, I, when they are used as building materials. The results confirm the high-primordial radionuclide content within some materials used in Latium (central Italy). Although the study was carried out in a limited area, the results confirm considerable variation in the primordial radionuclide content depending on the sites of origin.
Trevisi
R
R
Department of Occupational Hygiene, Istituto Superiore per la Prevenzione e la Sicurezza del lavoro (ISPESL), Monteporzio Catone, Rome, Italy 00040. r.trevisi@dil.ispesl.it
Bruno
M
M
Orlando
C
C
Ocone
R
R
Paolelli
C
C
Amici
M
M
Altieri
A
A
Antonelli
B
B
D001417:Background Radiation; D001822:Body Burden; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000032:analysis*; D005844:Geology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012384:Rome
D011868:Radioisotopes