Natural radioactivity of building components and materials used in Białystok province

The paper presents the results of the measurements of natural radioactivity of building components and materials used in the North-East part of Poland performed by the Department of Biophysics, Medical Academy of Białystok. The natural radioactivity (40K, 224Ra and 232Th) of 133 samples was measured and the qualifying coefficients f1 and f2 were calculated. All measured samples of different materials had radioactivity level below legally accepted value. The lowest values of f1 and f2 were observed in prefabricated building materials; and they were lower then in traditional red brick. Only one sample of furnace slag had increased value of natural radioactivity, which was higher than legally permitted level.