Open AccessNatural radioactivity level in materials used for medieval vaulting in the territory of the central Balkan region
Author(s) -
Igor Bjelić,
Dragana Todorović,
Jelena Krneta Nikolić,
Djordje Lazarević,
Koviljka Stanković
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
nuclear technology and radiation protection
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.31
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 1452-8185
pISSN - 1451-3994
DOI - 10.2298/ntrp1602184b
Subject(s) - masonry , natural radioactivity , natural (archaeology) , balkan peninsula , peninsula , environmental science , archaeology , geology , radionuclide , geography , physics , nuclear physics , biology , ecology
This work presents the results of an investigation undertaken to determine the level of natural radioactivity in the traditional building materials used for medieval indoor vaulted constructions in the territory of the central Balkan region. Indoor radiation exposure varies appreciably if it comes from the earth building materials, hence the presence of natural radioisotopes of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in masonry vaulted constructions was analyzed using gamma ray spectrometry. In addition, the internal health hazard index, the absorbed dose rates and the effective annual doses were calculated. The results were then compared both with the reported data from the previous studies concerning the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, as well as with the worldwide values for the materials of historic buildings. The results obtained from the materials examined in this paper all showed the radioactivity levels below the maximum permitted values. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 171007 i br. 43009