This study evaluates the natural radioactivity levels and radiological hazards of manufactured sand (M-sand) collected from Tamil Nadu, India, using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Twenty M-sand samples were analyzed to determine the activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K. From these data, key radiological hazard parameters were calculated, including radium equivalent activity (Ra eq ), absorbed dose rates (indoor and outdoor), annual effective dose equivalents (AEDE in and AEDE out ), internal and external hazard indices (H in and H ex ), excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR in and ELCR out ), annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE), and the gamma index (Iγ). The Raeq values (36 to 188 Bq kg -1 ) were well below the recommended limit of 370 Bq kg -1 , indicating negligible external radiation hazards. The mean indoor and outdoor dose rates were 104 nGy h -1 and 55 nGy h -1 , respectively, close to global averages. Both H in and H ex values were below unity, confirming safety for construction use. The average ELCR values (1.8×10 -3 indoor; 1.0×10 -3 outdoor) are slightly higher than the world average value of 1.16 10 -3 and 0.29 × 10 -3 mSv y -1 , respectively, reported by UNSCEAR. Pearson correlation analysis showed strong positive relationships among radionuclides and dose parameters, confirming their interdependence. • Modern M-Sand materials are assessed for radioactivity using gamma ray spectrometry • 40 K exhibited the highest activity concentration in M-sand • The mean outdoor excess lifetime cancer risk for the M-sand samples is 0.94 × 10 -3 mSv y -1 . • Statistical methods confirms the strong relationship between radionuclides and radiation health parameters
Kaviyam et al. (Fri,) studied this question.