TITLE:
An Analysis for Distribution of Natural Radionuclides in Soil, Sand and Sediment of Potenga Sea Beach Area of Chittagong, Bangladesh
AUTHORS:
Sabina Yasmin, Bijoy Sonker Barua, Masud Kamal, Md. Abdur Rashid
KEYWORDS:
Natural Radioactivity, Specific Radioactivity, HPGe γ-Ray Detector, Radiation Hazard Index, Dose Rate, Potenga Sea Beach
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.5 No.17,
December
4,
2014
ABSTRACT: A HPGe (High
Purity Germanium) detector based, low background gamma-ray counting system was
used for activity measurement in soil, sand and sediment samples collected from
Potenga sea beach area of Chittagong, Bangladesh. The specific radioactivities
of Radium (226Ra), Thorium (232Th) and Potassium (40K)
were measured in the above samples. The investigation reflects the lower
deposition of minerals exist in the collected samples. From the measured
specific radioactivities of the above three natural radionuclides, the radium
equivalent activity (Raeq), the external hazard index (Hex), the external gamma
absorbed dose rate and the annual effective dose were calculated. The obtained
mean values of gamma absorbed dose rate in soil and sand samples and annual
effective dose in soil, sand and sediment samples were found higher than the
worldwide average as reported by United Nations Scientific Committee on the
Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR, 2000). The Raeq values were in
the range of 47.86 to 293.76 Bq·kg-1 and the Hex varied from 0.13 - 0.81, which indicated that the study area was radiologically
safe for human being.