Radon is a dangerous pollutant causing lung cancer. The main protection against it is the monitoring. Recent literature has highlighted that historical buildings and archeological sites could be polluted by Radon not only due to the geological site but also due to the building materials and usage. In this paper, measurement techniques for the evaluation of Radon's concentration level (222Rn) are compared. This evaluation allows to determine most appropriate technique to be used in this type of buildings. The study is justified by the fact that the buildings are often attended not only by specialists but also by tourist that with their behaviour could misstate Radon gas measurement. The study is effectuated analyzing the situation of three old churches located in San Giovanni in Fiore (Cosenza, south of Italy). The measurement results are compared with the ones obtained by performing the same monitoring in public buildings attended by different kind of users. The monitored sites, churches and public buildings, are erected on the common granite massif of Sila (South Italy), by using local granite stone. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In this work the relation among building materials, insulation systems, and indoor radon pollution is evaluated. The work is part of a larger monitoring in progress in the Calabria Region (Southern Italy).The area under investigation is San Giovanni in Fiore (CS) located in the Sila upland plain. An annual monitoring is carried out in many buildings of the Sila area, with reference to their different building materials. The relationship between age of buildings and radon concentration is also considered.Nuclear tracks detector has been used (SSNTD, Solid State Nuclear Track Detector). Obtained results underline that the buildings realized with the local granite rock have greater indoor radon concentrations.The local granitic rocks, representative of the geologic area, have been analyzed by gamma spectrometry constituted by Canberra system HPGe fixed detector cooled by liquid nitrogen high radio-emission values of standard radionuclides as Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The sinterized hydroxyapatite is characterized by high crystallinity that makes it difficult to integrate in the bone turnover. The paper proposes (i) a new method to prepare calcium phosphate manufacts characterized by a low crystallinity, and (ii) a new method to characterize the microstructure and composition of hydroxyapatite. The characterization method pointed out is based on measurement techniques used for civil engineering materials. Therefore, it is possible to assess that the obtained results depend only by the material under test and not by the specific measurement method. Experimental results assess (i) the suitability of the characterization method pointed out, and (ii) the similarity among the mechanical, chemical and physical characteristics of the obtained hydroxyapatite and human bone ones.

The aim of this paper is to characterize some raw materials used for ceramics material production. Five samples of clay have been analyzed. It has been carried out a patterned sampling in a quarry in Rosarno (South Italy). Chemical-physical properties on clay samples are determined. Test pieces have been prepared and physical properties after firing are determined by DSC thermal analysis, XRD analysis and X-ray fluorescence. It is important to note the high amount of Fe 2 O 3 . The mixture principally contains quartz, illite and oligoclase. It has been observed the colour and the shape after firing: predominant colour is red. In this case the clay has been used in mixtures covered with glazes. The colour of internal clay is hidden by opaque of glazes. The analysed raw materials can be used in a slip for single fired red tiles. The A2sp clay produces best ceramics at 1000°C.

Indoor radon studies have been carried out in some workplaces of the South Calabria (Italy) by track detectors CR-39. This study has been undertaken for the purpose of safeguarding the public healthy: since the European population spends, in average, the most greater part of their time in confined environments (residences and offices) the risks of exposure can be elevated. This radon passive measurements are been effectuated according to the recommendations. The exposure time in the workplaces was two different cycle: three months, and six months. The obtained results indicate a radon concentration not only in an average of low level but also in the range of action level (>500 Bq/m3). In this last case will be necessary to reduce the radon pollution by adequate land operation works, and a continuous monitoring is also necessary.