Assessment of effective radium content and radon exhalation rates in soil samples

Abstract

Effective radium content and radon exhalation rates in soil samples have been measured by “Sealed Can Technique” using LR-115 type II plastic track detectors. The soil samples were collected from Farrukhabad city of Utter Pradesh, India. The values of effective radium content were found to vary from 5.39 to 34.56 Bq kg−1 with an average value of 16.58 Bq kg−1 and a standard deviation of 7.16. The mass and surface exhalation rate has been found to vary from 0.41 × 10−6 to 2.64 × 10−6 Bq kg−1 d−1 and 1.41 × 10−6 to 9.10 × 10−6 Bq m−2 d−1, respectively. All the values of radium content in soil samples of study area were found to be quite lower than the permissible value of 370 Bq kg−1 recommended by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.