Article

Radiological implications of Nagarparkar granite, Pakistan, as a building material

¹ Radiation Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Park Road, Islamabad, Pakistan
² Baluchistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences, Quetta, Pakistan
³ Geosciences Laboratory, Chak Shahzad, Park Road, Islamabad, Pakistan

^* aziz_qureshi@comsats.edu.pk

Received: 16 November 2015
Accepted: 29 July 2016

Abstract

The use of granite as a building material is a potential source of excessive radiation; therefore, natural radioactivity was measured in Nagarparkar granite using a HPGe γ-ray spectrometer. The average activities of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K were found to be 25.93, 41.84 and 867.09 Bq.kg^-1, respectively. Based on the activities of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K, assessment of the radiation indices, annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk was made. All of these were found to be comparable with the worldwide granite averages. Overall, Nagarparkar granite, Pakistan, was evaluated as a safe building material. Based on the radiation indices, annual effective dose and excess life time cancer risk, Nagarparkar granite was found to be the 7th safest building material among the world’s granites. In granites of Pakistan, radioactivity increases from south to north. The granites with high radioactivity are located in the Eurasian-Indian Plate collision zone in Northern Pakistan.