Natural radioactivity in Algerian building materials

Samples of natural and manufactured building materials collected from Algiers have been analysed for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K using a high-resolution HPGe γ-spectrometry system. The specific concentrations for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, from the selected building materials, ranged from (12–65 Bq kg−1), (7–51 Bq kg−1) and (36–675 Bq kg−1), respectively. The measured activity concentrations for these natural radionuclides were compared with the reported data of other countries and with the world average activity of soil. Radium-equivalent activities were calculated for the measured samples to assess the radiation hazards arising from using those materials in the construction of dwellings. All building materials showed Raeq activities lower than the limit set in the OECD report (370 Bq kg−1), equivalent to external γ-dose of 1.5 mSv yr−1.