Soil depth profiles and radiological assessment of natural radionuclides in forest ecosystem
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P. K. Manigandan
and
B. Chandar Shekar
Abstract
We measured the distribution of three naturally occurring radionuclides, 238U, 232Th, and 40K, in soil samples collected from a rainforest in the Western Ghats of India. For each surface sample, we calculated average activity concentration, outdoor terrestrial γ dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), and radiation hazard index. The activity concentrations of surface samples were randomly distributed over space, but differed slightly with different soil depths. The concentration of 232Th and the average terrestrial γ dose rates were slightly higher than the world averages, so slightly high γ radiation appears to be a general characteristic of the Western Ghats. However, all radiological hazard indices were within the limits proposed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The results reported here indicate that, except for 232Th, the naturally occurring radionuclides in the forest soils of the Western Ghats were within the ranges specified by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation for undisturbed virgin soils.
Acknowledgments
The authors are thankful to Dr. A. Natarajan, Head, HASL, IGCAR, Dr. A.R. Lakshmanan. HASL, IGCAR, Dr. A.R. Iyengar, Head, ESL, Kalpakkam for their constant encouragement throughout the period of work.
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Articles in the same Issue
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Cross section measurements of 75As(α,xn)76,77,78Br and 75As(α,x)74As nuclear reactions using the monitor radionuclides 67Ga and 66Ga for beam evaluation
- U(VI) Extraction by 8-hydroxyquinoline: a comparison study in ionic liquid and in dichloromethane
- Preparation, characterization, uranium (VI) biosorption models, and conditions optimization by response surface methodology (RSM) for amidoxime-functionalized marine fungus materials
- β-Zeolite modified by ethylenediamine for sorption of Th(IV)
- Assessment of surface reactivity of thorium oxide in conditions close to chemical equilibrium by isotope exchange 229Th/232Th method
- Evolution of heavy ions (He2+, H+) radiolytic yield of molecular hydrogen vs. “Track-Segment” LET values
- Radiation induced environmental remediation of Cr(VI) heavy metal in aerated neutral solution under simulated industrial effluent
- Soil depth profiles and radiological assessment of natural radionuclides in forest ecosystem
