Natural radioactivity and associated radiological hazards in limestone used as raw material in cement of Lucky Cement Factory, Pezu, Pakistan. Issue 11 (1st September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ahmad, Nisar; Nasir, Tabassum; Rafique, Muhammad; Rizwan, Sohail
• Is Part Of: International journal of environmental analytical chemistry. Volume 100:Issue 11(2020)
• Page Start: 1287
• Page End: 1298
• Publication Date: 2020-09-01
• Subjects: Limestone -- cement -- gamma spectroscopy -- radiological hazards; Ecology -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Environmental chemistry -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Periodicals; 577.14
• DOI: 10.1080/03067319.2019.1651303
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-7319

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Naturally occurring mineral called limestone is the most important element of cement. Lucky Cement Factory, Pezu, is using limestone collected from Sheikh Budin Hill as raw material in cement. The workers of the cement factory have a direct exposure to radiological hazards of the natural radionuclides present in limestone and the general public is indirectly affected by the use of cement as building materials. Therefore, in this study, samples of limestone, mixed (limestone + clay) and cement have been tested for their radioactivity contents using high-purity germanium detector. Average values of 226 Ra activity were found to be 9.19 ± 0.40, 11.47 ± 0.41 and 23.0 ± 0.70 Bq/kg in limestone, mixed (limestone + clay) and cement samples, respectively. The corresponding values of 232 Th were found to be 2.62 ± 0.19, 13.20 ± 0.47 and 20.75 ± 0.66 Bq/kg in limestone, mixed (limestone + clay) and cement samples, respectively. For 40 K, these values were found to be 26.82 ± 2.69, 109.5 ± 7.14 and 200.75 ± 9.30 Bq/kg in limestone, mixed (limestone + clay) and cement samples, respectively. The maximum average values of Ra eq, H ex, H in, D R, D out and D in were found in cement samples while minimum were found in limestone samples. Similarly, maximum average values of AEDR, Iγ and Iα were found in cement samples while the minimum were found in limestone samples. All these values were found below the world permissible limits.