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Prediction Models for Radiological Characterization of Natural Aggregates Based on Chemical Composition and
Andrés Caño1, María Del Mar Alonso1, Alicia Pachón-Montaño1
1Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Sciences (IETcc-CSIC), 28033 Madrid, Spain.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 27, 2025
Summary
This study links construction aggregate chemical composition to natural radionuclide levels using statistical models. Predictive models were developed and validated for radiological safety assessments.
Area of Science:
- Radiological protection
- Environmental science
- Materials science
Background:
- Construction materials require radiological characterization for health and environmental safety.
- Gamma spectrometry is standard, but predictive models from chemical composition offer an alternative.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate the chemical composition of construction aggregates with their natural radionuclide activity concentrations.
- To develop and validate predictive statistical models for radiological assessment.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 39 construction aggregates (siliceous, carbonatic, volcanic, granitic).
- X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for chemical composition.
- Gamma spectrometry for radionuclide activity.
- Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and multiple regression analysis for modeling.
Main Results:
- Inversely proportional relationship between chemical composition and radionuclide content in siliceous/carbonatic aggregates.
- Strong correlation of granitic aggregates with Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium-40.
- Radionuclide content in volcanic aggregates showed no dependence on chemical composition.
- Validated models achieved ≤ 30% RSD in 50% of radionuclide concentration predictions.
Conclusions:
- Statistical models effectively predict radionuclide content in construction aggregates based on chemical composition.
- Models are valuable tools for radiological safety assessments of building materials.
- Understanding mineralogy aids in interpreting the relationship between chemical composition and radioactivity.
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