Terrestrial Radio Nuclides in the Soil of Udupi District and Gamma Dose Rate for the People

Abstract

The paper discusses the results of detailed studies on gamma radiation levels, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K concentrations in soils of Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala Taluks of Coastal Karnataka region of India. The gamma absorbed dose rates were measured using portable GM survey meter and soil radioactivity was by gamma spectrometry method using an HPGe detector. The results show that the 226Ra concentration varies in the range 1.2 –78.0 Bq kg-1 with a mean of 30Bq kg-1, 232Th in the range of 1.6 - 166Bq kg-1 with a mean of 56Bq kg-1 and 40K in the range 12 – 477Bq kg-1 with a mean of 189Bq kg-1 in the 0-5 cm soil profile. The gamma absorbed dose rates, measured using the GM survey meter, show that the dose varies in the range of 70.0 - 123.0 nGy h-1. These values are comparable to those reported for other normal background regions of India