Natural radionuclide concentration in Hassan district of South India

Abstract

Soil samples were collected from Hassan district of South India. The analysis was carried out using NaI (Tl) gamma ray spectrometer. The 232Th activity was found to vary from 20.4 ± 1.3 Bq/kg to 136.3 ± 3.3 Bq/kg with a mean value of 56.9 ± 2.0 Bq/kg, and 226Ra activity was found to vary from 22.5 ± 1.4 Bq/kg to 90.6 ± 3.4 Bq/kg with a mean value of 41.4 ± 2.1 Bq/kg. The activity of 40K was ranged from 278.2 ± 4.0 Bq/kg to 650.7 ± 6.7 Bq/kg with a mean value of 388.4 ± 5.1 Bq/kg. Relatively higher levels of thorium were observed in soil. The radium equivalent activity and other radiological parameters were also determined.

Keywords

• External hazard index
• internal hazard index
• NaI (Tl) spectrometer
• radium equivalent activity