Evaluation of radiological risk associated with local building materials commonly used in Northwestern Nigeria.

In this study, potential radiological risk due to the activity concentrations of primordial radionuclides (Ra, Th, and K) in commonly used local building materials (sand, clay, kaolin and gypsum) in Northwestern Nigeria were assessed using NaI (Tl) detector. The measured activity concentrations ranged from 47 to 63 Bq kg for Ra, 24-32 Bq kg for Th, and 219-257 Bq kg for K respectively. The mean values of Th, and K for all samples were below the respective world averages of 45 and 420 Bq kg with that of Ra for all the samples higher than the world average value of 32 Bq kg.