Evaluation of potential radiological hazards of unfired construction materials containing fly ash in Vietnam.

In this study, the specific activities of Ra, Th and K in the unfired construction materials (solid card bricks, 4-hole bricks, pavement bricks) containing fly ash and bottom ash from a coal-fired thermal power plant in Vietnam were measured using the low-level gamma-ray spectrometer with HPGe detector. Also, the Rn concentrations in these materials were analyzed using RAD7 radon monitor and then radon mass exhalation rate and emanation fraction of these materials were calculated. The potential radiological hazards for residents living in the model room made of these materials were evaluated.

Radiation exposure for the population living around the coal-fired power plant complexes in Vietnam.

A coal-fired power plant's operation can release radioactive nuclides and radon gas into the environment, affecting the surrounding ecosystem. In this work, the collective effective dose due to the inhalation and the consumption of food containing the deposited radionuclides from the atmospheric release of the plants were evaluated. The results show that the radioactivity concentration in coal and fly ash samples depends on the origin of feed coal.