Distribution and enrichment of 210Po and210Pb in the environment of Mangalore, Southwest Coast of India

Abstract

The article deals with the distribution and enrichment of210Po and210Pb in soil samples of Mangalore, Southwest Coast of India. The soil samples collected from the region were analyzed for210Po and210Pb activity using radiochemical analytical technique to understand the distribution and enrichment of these radionuclides. The210Po activity in soil in the environment of Mangalore varies from 1.5 to 26.9 Bq/kg with a mean value of 12.6 Bq/kg and that of210Pb varies in the range 7.6–67.5 Bq/kg with a mean value of 38.9 Bq/kg. The mean210Po/210Pb ratio observed was 0.3, and it shows that the radionuclides210Po and210Pb are not in equilibrium and the accumulation of210Pb in soil is more compared to210Po. A good correlation exists between the activities of210Po and210Pb with correlation coefficient r = 0.7. The absorbed gamma dose in the environment of the region varies from 39.4 to 78.8 nGyh−1, with a mean value of 48.2 nGyh−1. The activity of both210Po and210Pb in soil almost certainly depends on the physicochemical parameters of the soil. The results of the systematic studies on the distribution and enrichment of210Po and210Pb and the absorbed gamma dose rate in air are presented and discussed in this article.

Keywords

• 210pb
• 210po
• enrichment
• radionuclide
• soil