Abstract
The radiation arising from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) is the foremost contributor to the collective dose received by the global population. The present study aims to measure the natural background radiation level and the associated gamma radiation dose in air in the Beldih apatite mine region of Purulia district, India. This study is primarily focused on the determination of 238U, 232Th and 40K activities in the sub-surface soil of the study area. The measurements were carried out using a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector-based gamma-ray spectrometer with a relative efficiency of 80%. To achieve uniformity in exposure estimations, radium equivalent activity has been calculated. Additionally, the internal hazard index, external hazard index, radioactivity level index and gamma dose rates have been evaluated to estimate the radiation hazard levels in the study area. The comparison of obtained concentrations and hazard indices with global data (UNSCEAR. (2008). Sources, effects and risks of ionizing radiation. United nations scientific committee on the effects of atomic radiation (report to the general assembly, with Annexes).) suggests that this region lies in a relatively high background radiation zone.
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Acknowledgements
Nabanita Naskar acknowledges DST INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship (IFA21-EAS 99, Sanction no.: DST/INSPIRE/04/2021/003612 dated 28-03-2023). Susanta Lahiri acknowledges the CSIR Emeritus Scientist Scheme, Govt. of India. Chiranjib Barman acknowledges the financial assistance from Department of Science & Technology-Fund for Improvement of Science & Technology Infrastructure, New Delhi, India; Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan grant of Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University; University Grant Commissions-Faculty Research Promotion Scheme Start-up-Grant; seed grant of faculty research, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University.
Funding
The authors acknowledge the financial support given by Department of Science & Technology-Fund for Improvement of Science & Technology Infrastructure (SR/FST/PS-1/2020/159) New Delhi, India; Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan grant of Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University; University Grant Commissions-Faculty Research Promotion Scheme Start-up-Grant [(No.F.30–557/2021(BSR) Dated: 21 Jan, 2022)]; seed grant of faculty research, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University (R/847/SKBU/2022 dated 20th July, 2022).
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SM contributed to Sample collection, methodology, sample preparation, data analysis, validation, writing—original draft. NN contributed to Conceptualization, methodology, sample preparation, data analysis, validation, writing—original draft, overall correction. JM contributed to Sample Collection, sample preperation. SS: Sample collection, sample preparation. SL contributed to Conceptualization, methodology, supervision, resources, writing—overall correction. CB contributed to Sample collection, supervision, funding acquisition, resources, writing—overall correction. SM was a major contributor in writing the original manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Mitra, S., Naskar, N., Mukherjee, J. et al. Assessment of NORMs (238U, 232Th, 40K) and radiation hazard indices in Beldih apatite mine region of Purulia district, West Bengal, India. Environ Geochem Health 46, 66 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01844-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01844-w