Natural radioactivity and radon exhalation rates in man-made tiles used as building materials in Japan.
Man-made tiles frequently used in Japan were collected, and activity concentrations and radon ((222)Rn) exhalation rates in these tiles were measured. Dose estimations for inhabitants living in houses built using these tiles were also carried out. The activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (228)Ra and (40)K in the man-made tiles were 31-170, 35-110 and 260-980 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The (222)Rn exhalation rates in the tiles were 8.8-21 μBq m(-2) s(-1). The ranges of experimental activity concentrations and (222)Rn exhalation rates were almost identical to those of natural rocks used as typical building materials in Japan. The maximum value of effective dose to inhabitants living in houses built with the man-made tiles was 0.14 mSv y(-1), which is lower than the reference level range (1-20 mSv y(-1)) for abnormally high levels of natural background radiation published in the ICRP Publication 103.
Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan.
K
K
Iwaoka
Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan.
M
M
Hosoda
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand.
N
N
Suwankot
Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
Y
Y
Omori
Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
T
T
Ishikawa
National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan.
H
H
Yonehara
Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan tokonami@hirosaki-u.ac.jp.
S
S
Tokonami
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D000398:Air Pollution, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D001417:Background Radiation; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007700:Kinetics; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*
D011886:Radon