Title: Activity of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in riverine environs and evaluation of radiological hazards

Authors: Y. Narayana, K.M. Rajashekara, K. Siddappa

Addresses: Department of Studies in Physics, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri – 574 199, Mangalore, India. ' Department of Studies in Physics, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri – 574 199, Mangalore, India. ' JSS Foundation for Science and Society, Banashankari, Bangalore-560 085, India

Abstract: This paper discusses the results of systematic measurement of activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in riverine samples of river Sharavathi, one of the major rivers of coastal Karnataka in India. Activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in soil, sediment and rock were measured by Na(I) Tl gamma-ray spectrometry. To assess the radiological hazards of the natural radioactivity in the samples, absorbed gamma-dose rates in air, radium equivalent activity, representative level index, external hazard index and internal hazard index values associated with the radionuclides were calculated and compared with the international recommended values. The representative level index (I_gr) values are high in soil and sediment samples. The external hazard index (H_ex) and internal hazard index (H_in) values are low in rock samples of the Sharavathi River.

Keywords: natural radioactivity; rivers; soil; sediment; rock; radiation hazards; low radiation; India.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2007.015816

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2007 Vol.4 No.3, pp.200 - 208

Published online: 20 Nov 2007 *

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