title: First characterisation of natural radioactivity in building materials manufactured in Albania.
abstract: This study focuses on the radiological characterisation of building materials manufactured in Albania by using a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer. The average activity concentrations of (40)K, (226)Ra and (232)Th were, respectively, 644.1±64.2, 33.4 ± 6.4 and 42.2 ± 7.6 Bq kg(-1) in the clay brick samples and 179.7 ± 48.9, 55.0 ± 5.8 and 17.0 ± 3.3 Bq kg(-1) in the cement samples. The calculated activity concentration index (ACI), varied from 0.48±0.02 to 0.63±0.04 in the clay brick samples and from 0.29±0.03 to 0.37±0.02 in the cement samples. Based on the ACI, all of the clay brick and cement samples were categorised as A1 materials. The authors can exclude (at 3σ level) any restriction of their use as bulk materials.
authors: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Legnaro National Laboratory, Via dell'Università, 2, Legnaro, Padova 35020, Italy. xhixha@fe.infn.it
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Xhixha
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ahmeti
authors: G P
authors: GP
authors: Bezzon
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Bitri
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Broggini
authors: G P
authors: GP
authors: Buso
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Caciolli
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Callegari
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Cfarku
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Colonna
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Fiorentini
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Guastaldi
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Mantovani
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Massa
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Menegazzo
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Mou
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Prifti
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Rossi Alvarez
authors: Dh
authors: D
authors: Sadiraj Kuqi
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Shyti
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Tushe
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Xhixha Kaçeli
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Zyfi
mesh_terms: D000415:Albania; D001417:Background Radiation; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000032:analysis*; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D013910:Thorium; D011883:Radium