Measurement of activity concentration of primordial radionuclides in soil samples from Thirthahalli taluk and the assessment of resulting radiation dose

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 316; no. 2; pp. 501 - 511
• Main Authors: Shilpa, G. M., Anandaram, B. N., Mohankumari, T. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-05-2018; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Diagnostic Radiology; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Inorganic Chemistry; Measurement; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Physics; Physical Chemistry; Radiation (Physics); Radiation dosage; Radioisotopes; Radium 226; Excess life time cancer risk; Radiation hazard index; Gamma spectrometry; Gamma absorbed dose
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-018-5788-2

The activity concentration of primordial radionuclides
226
Ra,
232
Th, and
40
K in soil samples of Thirthahalli taluk were measured systematically by using a low background HPGe detector coupled to 16 K MCA. The measured activity concentration of
226
Ra lies between 5.1 ± 0.2 and 79.5 ± 1.7 Bq kg
−1
with an average activity of 25.99 Bq kg
−1
,
232
Th ranges from 5.1 ± 0.3 to 95.3 ± 2.2 Bq kg
−1
with an average activity of 33.60 Bq kg
−1
and that of
40
K varies from 18.3 ± 1.5 to 833.4 ± 17.5 Bq kg
−1
with an average activity of 175.52 Bq kg
−1
. Higher concentration of these radionuclides were found in the soil samples where the regional geology is granites. The consequential gamma dose and the corresponding radiation hazard was also estimated and is found to be within the permissible limits. The possible radiological impact on the public was also determined and these results are presented in this paper.