Assessment of radioactivity concentration for building materials used in Babadogo Estate, Nairobi City County, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract Natural radioactive materials in certain conditions can get to hazardous radiological level. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the natural activity concentration from sampled building materials collected from different locations in Babadogo Estate within Nairobi City County. The analysis done using gamma ray spectrometer, which was put into action for spectral data acquisition and then analysis. The activity concentration levels of 238U, 232Th and 40K for the selected samples of building materials was measured by the use of gamma ray spectrometry method. The analyzed data compared with the standard acceptable values. The activity concentration in 40K varied from 55 ± 3 to 2647 ± 132 Bq kg−1, giving an average (sum of all values divided by 33) value of 831 ± 42 Bq kg−1; 238U varied from 39 ± 2 to 3602 ± 180 Bq kg−1, giving average figures of 378 ± 19 Bq kg−1 and 232Th ranged from 5.000 ± 0.300 to 4213 ± 211 Bq kg−1, giving average figure of 290 ± 15 Bq kg−1. The calculated average figures for activity concentration surpassed the world average values of 420, 33 and 45 Bq kg−1 in 40K, 238U and 232Th, respectively.