Concentration of natural radionuclides in and around Padubidri on the coastal Karnataka, India

The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides viz. 232Th, 226Ra and 40K were measured in soil samples of Padubidri on the coastal Karnataka, the site for the proposed coal based thermal power station, using gamma-ray spectrometry to establish a baseline data on radioactivity levels in the environment of the region. The activity concentration of 232Th varies in the range of 38.5-115.5 Bq·kg-1 with a mean value of 66.0 Bq·kg-1, the activity concentration of 226Ra varies in the range 35.3-72.5 Bq·kg-1 with a mean value of 53.5 Bq·kg-1 and that of 40K varies in the range of 307.5-550.9 Bq·kg -1 with a mean value of 419.3 Bq·kg-1. The radium equivalent activity varies in the range of 140.0-242.9 Bq·kg-1 with a mean value of 180.2 Bq·kg-1. The correlation between 226Ra and 40K, 232Th and 40K and 226Ra and 232Th was studied from the results of the concentration of these naturally occurring radionuclides. The calculated dose rates in air due to these naturally occurring radionuclides varies in the range of 66.0-110.0 nGy·h-1 with a mean dose rate of 83.1 nGy·h-1. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc