Determination of natural radioactivity and health risks of cement in Abidjan District, Côte d'Ivoire

Natural radionuclides from building materials are one of the potential sources of external as well as internal radiation exposure to the human body. Currently, this exposure has been increasing since people spend more than their time indoors. In this study, 16 cement samples collected from Abidjan district were analyzed using a high-resolution high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry. Activity concentrations of primordial radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were found with mean specific activities of 9.95 ± 1.94 Bq/kg, 21.81 ± 3.2 Bq/kg, and 196.50 ± 4.5 Bq/kg, respectively. The obtained data were below world average values of 35, 30, and 400 Bq/kg. Radiological parameters such as radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate (D), and annual effective dose were calculated and compared to the worldwide average values. Further, statistical analyses were performed and discussed for the resulted data. The estimated radiological indices were below the recommended levels; therefore, the study shows that the measured radioactivity for cement does not pose a significant source of radiation and is safe for use in the construction of dwellings. The data from this study can be used as a reference for future studies on building materials in Côte d'Ivoire and by other researchers around the world.