Natural radioactivity in different types of bricks fabricated and used in the Cairo region

The specific radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were measured in samples of different types of bricks (clay, cement, and sand) fabricated and used in urban buildings in the Cairo region in Egypt, using a γ-ray spectrometer with a HpGe-detector. The radiation hazard of the total natural radioactivity in the studied brick was estimated by different approaches. The concentrations of the natural radionuclides and the radium-equivalent activity in the studied Egyptian brick samples are compared with the corresponding results for bricks of the different countries and are found to be significantly lower in all cases.