Author(s)

Wedad Rayif Alharbi

Department of Physics, Faculty Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Knowledge of radioactivity present in polishing materials enables one to assess any possible radiological risks to human health. In this work, the radioactivity due to the presence of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ³⁷Cs has been measured in polishing materials con-sumed in Saudi Arabia using gamma spectrometry with HPGe. The activity concentra-tions of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs ranged from 13.61 ± 0.005 to 0.60 ± 0.002, 18.43 ± 0.003 to 0.78 ± 0.001, 342.59 ± 0.009 to 2.47 ± 0.001 and 1.47 ± 0.001 to 0.55 ± 0.001 Bq/l, respectively. For ²²⁶Ra and ⁴⁰K, the highest values are measured in stainless steel polisher. The highest values also measured in metal polisher (copper-chrome) and disinfectant cleaner and polisher sample for ²³²Th and ¹³⁷Cs. Radium equivalent activ-ity due to the natural radioactivity of the investigated samples ranged from 51.37 to 1.24 Bq/l. This value is less than the recommended values in the established standards. The evaluated data were compared with the literature data. Our results indicate that no significant radiological hazards arise from using investigated samples hence quite safe to be used as polishing materials.

Gamma Spectrometry, Radiation Hazard, Polishing Materials, Natural Radioactivity

Alharbi, W. (2016) Investigation on ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁸Th, 40⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs Concentrations in Common Polishing Materials Consumed by Inhabitants in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Environmental Protection, 7, 1466-1472. doi: 10.4236/jep.2016.711123.