NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY AND RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF GRANITE SAMPLES FROM SWABI DISTRICT USING GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY

This research evaluates natural radioactivity levels of Primordial Radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K and the associated radiological hazards in granite samples of District Swabi, Pakistan. This was accomplished by employing a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detector, and a total of 20 granite samples were analysed. Average specific activity levels were determined to be 4.470, 11.812, and 140.738 Bq/kg for 232Th, 226Ra, and 40K, respectively. As a result, a total average activity of 157.021 Bq/kg was found in the Swabi granite samples. Given their possible health risks, such as cancer, and the long-term effects of continual exposure through breathing, it is critical to investigate the radiological dangers posed by these primordial radionuclides. 232Th activity is 3%, 226Ra is 7%, and 40K is 90% of the total. The measured activity concentrations were then used to determine the radium equivalent, the excessive lifetime cancer risk, and different indoor and outdoor radiological hazard indices. The estimated values for these indices were discovered to be well within the safe ranges advised by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). As a result, the study found that granite from the Swabi district is considered safe for construction use