Waiswa, Salimu2026-05-312026-05-312024Waiswa, S. (2024). Analysis of the radiological content in selected floor tiles and cement brands commonly used in building construction in Tororo, Uganda. [Master’s thesis]. Busitema University.https://bdears.busitema.ac.ug/handle/123456789/4220This is a masters thesis about Analysis of the radiological content in selected floor tiles and cement brands commonly used in building construction in Tororo, Uganda.In this study, cement and floor tiles that are frequently used in building construction were investigated using a NaI (TI) detector in gamma ray spectrometry to identify the gamma ray emitting radionuclides of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40 as well as radiological parameters of radionuclide activities concentration, radium equivalent activity, absorbed gamma dose, annual effective dose, external and internal hazard indices, excess lifetime cancer risk, and annual gonadal equivalent dose. In the study, samples of cement and floor tiles from different cement and tile manufacturers were evaluated. Using the NaI (TI) detector, naturally occurring radionuclides of radium (Ra-226,), thorium (Th-232) and Potassium (K-40) were found in all the analyzed samples. The radionuclide activity concentration of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40 in cement were in the range of 10.2± 0.7 Bqkg-1 to 86.1± 4.3 Bqkg-1, 28.9± 1.3 Bqkg-1 to 105.3±, 2.5 Bqkg-1 and 334.2± 6.4 Bqkg-1 to 508.5± 7.9 Bqkg-1, with average values of 31.2± 1.7 Bqkg-1, 61.9± 1.9 Bqkg-1 and 463.1± 7.5 Bqkg-1 respectively. Save for Ra-226 whose average activity concentration was less than 40 Bqkg-1 the global average value, the activity concentrations of Th-232 and K-40 recorded were higher than 35 Bqkg-1 and 400 Bqkg-1, the global recommended dose limits respectively. The average value of the absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose, radium equivalent activity, external and internal indices in the analyzed cement samples were 71.1± 2.2 nGyhr-1, 0.349± 0.011 mSvy-1, 155.3± 5.1 Bqkg-1, 0.42 and 0.50 below the maximum permissive dose limit of 84 nGyhr-1, 1.0 mSvy-1, 370 Bqkg-1 and 1(unity) respectively. The recorded average values of the excess life time cancer risk and annual gonadal equivalent dose were and 0.50 mSvy-1 which are above the recommended dose limit of and 0.3mSvy-1 respectively. In the floor tile samples, the concentration of radionuclide activity for Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40 ranged from 13.2± 0.8 Bqkg-1 to 49.0± 2.4 Bqkg-1, 38.7± 1.3 Bqkg-1 to 149.5± 3.7 Bqkg-1, and 192.9± 2.6 Bqkg-1 to 526.7± 8.0 Bqkg-1, with average values of 30.8± 1.4 Bqkg-1, 95.8± 2.3 Bqkg-1, and 388.6± 6.2 Bqkg-1, respectively. Th-232 was found to have average activity concentration above the global recommended dose limits of 35 Bqkg-1, with the exception of Ra226 and K-40, whose average activity concentrations were less than the global average value of 40 Bqkg-1 and 400 Bqkg-1, respectively. In the examined floor tile samples, the average values of the absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose, radium equivalent activity, external and internal indices were 88.3± 2.3 nGyh-1, 0.43± 0.011 mSvy-1, 197.7± 5.2 Bqkg-1, 0.534, and 0.458, respectively, which are below the maximum permissive dose limit of 84 nGyhr-1, 370 Bqkg-1 and 1(unity). The average reported values of the excess life-time cancer risk and the annual gonadal equivalent dose were 1.52x10-3 and 0.619 mSvy-1, respectively beyond the suggested dosage limit of 0.29x10-3 and 0.3 mSvy-1. Due to some samples showing higher activity concentrations than the global average, further studies are recommended to confirm these findings and assess additional radiological parameters like alpha and gamma indices. Future research should include more types of building materials. High radionuclide activity in some samples poses significant health risks, such as increased cancer rates, radiation sickness, genetic damage, respiratory problems, reproductive issues, and cardiovascular disease, particularly for those living in buildings made with such materials.en-USThesis