Determination of Natural Radioactivity in Aggregates from Western Mediterranean Region

Every material found in nature has a specific feature of the radioactivity. Depending on the degree of radioactivity, radioactivity effects are detrimental to human health. The use of these materials in the areas of human life can affect human health. Degree of radioactivity of these materials should be determined and usability of theirs should be controlled in buildings. In this study, determinations of natural radioactivity in aggregates used for construction were examined. As varieties of the aggregate of the region of Western Mediterranean: barite, olivine, tuff, aggregate, pumice, and andesite for the measurement of natural radioactivity was obtained. Materials were ground before they were used to determination of radioactivity and chemical analysis experiments. Of the powderized materials, by gamma-spectroscopic method there were carried out measurements of natural radioactivity in the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Ege University. Degrees of natural radioactivity of materials that can be used as aggregate obtained from Western Mediterranean region were determined. The degree of radioactivity was compared with the values specified in the standards, the results were compared.