Radionuclides of 238U, 232Th and 40K in beach sand of southern regions in Tamilnadu State, India (Post-Tsunami)

Abstract

The natural radioactivity content of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in beach sand of southern regions of Tamilnadu, India have been analyzed using gamma-ray spectroscopy. From the spectral analysis, the average radioactivity content of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in beach sand samples are 8.77 ± 3.77, 76.48 ± 4.74 and 202.87 ± 26.72 Bq.kg^-1, respectively. Univariate statistics has been applied successfully to assess the distribution of radionuclides and it shows that the decay series radionuclides such as ²³⁸U and ²³²Th are non-existence of normal distribution in the sands; however non-decay series radionuclide of ⁴⁰K is distributed uniformly. Radiological parameters such as absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, annual gonadal dose equivalent, radium equivalent, hazard index, gamma index, activity utilization index, alpha index and excess lifetime cancer risk have been calculated to know the complete radiological status of the coastal sands. The results of the present study indicate that the natural radioactivity content in the beach sands do not pose any radiation effect to the members of public in the southern region of Tamilnadu coast.