The studies on radiological limits of color-glazed tiles used in home decoration

This study was carried out to lay down the radiological limits of color-glazed tiles used in home decoration. The activity concentrations of various end products and raw materials as well as processed materials were measured using gamma spectroscopy. 222Rn exhalation rates from the surface of color-glazed tiles were measured using charcoal canister method. Levels of exposure to alpha ray and beta ray from the surface of glazed tiles were measured by surface alpha and beta contaminant instrument. The results show a great difference between the radioactive levels of the surface glaze and the matrix of color-glazed tiles. The 222Rn exhalation rates from the surface of color-glazed tiles are in the range of 10(-3) - 10(-4) Bq m(-2) s(-1). The concentrations of some natural radionuclides in glaze exceed the exempt limits of International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation Sources (IAEA 1997). The limits for color-glazed tiles were deduced according to these data and the theory of UNSCEAR (1993). The activity concentration of 226Ra (Bq kg(-1)) in the glaze of color-glazed tiles should be in the range of A(226Ra) < or = 1,000 (Bq kg(-1)), and, at the same time, the specific activity of the natural radionuclides (Bq kg(-1)) should be in the range of A(232Th)/230 + A(226Ra)/310 + A(40K)/3,500 < or = 1.