Assessment of natural radioactivity and radiation index parameters in the coastal environment of Kerala

Abstract

Measurement of natural radioactivity concentration in sand samples collected from the coastal belt of Kerala has been carried out using NaI(Tl) detector, and the radiological parameters were evaluated from the measured activities. It is well reported that in certain situation, the natural radioactivity in the environmental matrices can reach reference levels or beyond. Hence, the study has been performed to understand the distribution and enrichment of natural radionuclides in the coastal environment of Kerala, and thereby assessing dose to the inhabitants. The mean activity concentration of naturally occurring radionuclides, namely 40 K, 226 Ra, and 232 Th in the samples were 53.2, 7.0, and 101.3 Bq/kg, respectively. The radiological parameters, namely absorbed dose rate, the radium equivalent activity (Ra eq ), the annual effective dose (indoor and outdoor), and reference indices were evaluated and compared to the recommended safety limits. The present investigation indicates that the data are comparable with the reported values elsewhere and in most of the cases observed values were well within the permissible limit.