Radiation doses in Jordanian dwellings due to natural radioactivity in construction materials and soil

The annual effective dose rates due to naturally occurring radioactivity in soil and materials used in construction of dwellings in Jordan have been calculated. A computer code INGRE based on the volume integral over the source shape method with its pre-processor and newly added isotope libraries has been used for this purpose. Experimentally measured gamma ray activities due to Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 in soil and construction materials have been used. The annual effective dose rates to various organs or human tissues have been calculated. Our results show that the annual effective dose rates to all body organs or human tissues are smallest in concrete block houses and greatest in stone houses. In all three types of dwellings, the annual effective dose rates to all body organs or human tissues are smaller than those estimated by UNSCEAR for normal background area. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.