ASSESSMENT OF THE NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY AND RADIOLOGICAL HAZARDS IN LAO CEMENT SAMPLES

The radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K natural radionuclides in Lao Portland cement samples were measured using a gamma-spectrometry with a HPGe detector. The activity concentrations were found to vary from 28.32 ± 2.23 to 65.50 ± 2.83 Bq kg-1 with a mean value of 41.12 ± 2.44 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra; from 7.25 ± 2.00 to 44.01 ± 2.45 Bq kg-1 with a mean of 16.60 ± 2.37 Bq kg-1 for 232Th and from 49.19 ± 4.27 to 196.74 ± 4.75 Bq kg-1 with a mean of 141.48 ± 4.50 Bq kg-1 for 40K, respectively. The radiological parameters were estimated to assess the potential radiological hazard including radium equivalent activity, total external absorbed dose rate in outdoor air at 1 m above the earth's surface, the annual effective dose, the gamma and alpha-indices were calculated using the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K. The results obtained in this study show no significant radiological hazards arising from using Lao Portland cement for building construction.