An Assessment of External Dose From Natural Radioactivity in Building Materials by Using Simulation Monte Carlo
Le Quang Vuong, Tran Thi Bao Ngoc, Le Thi Ai Van, Tran Thien Thanh, Chau Van Tao
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, VOL. 72, NO. 4, APRIL 2025
Abstract:
Aside from the natural background ionizing radiation that humans are constantly exposed to, there is a significant risk of elevated radiation levels from building materials with enhanced radioactivity. Given the time individuals spend indoors, this study is crucial in assessing the external radiation dose from commonly used construction materials. A room model with dimensions of 5×4×2.8 m and walls of 20 cm thick was developed to simulate radiation doses from materials such as cement, brick, sand, and rock collected from suppliers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Absorbed dose rates from radionuclides, specifically 238U, 232Th, and 40K, were calculated using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport code version 6.1 (MCNP6), with phantom water used to represent the dose absorption medium. The results indicate that the external radiation doses ranged from 0.11 to 0.64 mSv/y for sand, 0.47–0.79 mSv/y for cement, and 1.07–1.58 and 1.00 mSv/y for brick and rock, respectively. While most measured doses were below the reference value, specific brick samples exceeded these thresholds. In addition, a comparative analysis was conducted using the Residual Radioactive Material – Building (RESRAD-BUILD) code, with dosimetric data derived from the international commission on radiological protection 38 (ICRP 38) library. The comparison between MCNP6 and RESRAD-BUILD results showed a good agreement with relative deviations of less than 12%, underscoring the accuracy and reliability of the model. These findings suggest that the proposed methodology provides a reliable and efficient approach for quantifying external radiation doses from building materials, thus contributing to improved radiation safety assessments in indoor environments.
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