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Evaluation of radiological hazards and trace element contamination around thermal power plant at Udupi on the Southwest coast of India

  • Research Article - Anthropogenic Geohazards
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Abstract

Coastal Karnataka on the southwest coast of India is heading to become a region of major industrial activity center with the operation of oil refineries, petrochemical complexes and nuclear and thermal power stations. In view of this, studies have been initiated on radioactivity and trace elements to assess the impact of these industrial activities on the human population and environment of the region. As a result, the radiological hazards originating from radioactivity in soil and fly ash were evaluated in the vicinity of a thermal power plant at Udupi in coastal Karnataka. The gamma ray spectrometer techniques were employed to measure radioactivity in soil and fly ash sample. The mean activity concentration of 40K, 232Th and 226Ra in soils was found to be 190.64 ± 3.60 Bq kg−1,43.74 ± 2.17 Bq kg−1 and 59.36 ± 1.74 Bq kg−1 similarly for fly ash it was found to be 229.37 ± 4.22 Bq kg−1, 28.29 ± 1.73 Bq kg−1 and 39.06 ± 1.49 Bq kg−1, respectively. The possible impact of natural radiation on a human has been assessed by calculating the hazards parameters. Spatial distribution of natural radionuclides in the study area was also investigated for radioactivity disequilibrium. Major mineralogical analysis was carried out using XRD and FTIR techniques. The trace element C, O, Al, Si, Fe, Ti, Cr, K, Mg, Mn and Ni in soil were determined by FESEM/EDS. The soil in the region was found to be rich in aluminum and silica, with iron being the next most abundant element.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri, 574 199, India

    Sandesh Achari & Narayana Yerol

  2. Department of Physics, Bearys Institute of Technology, Mangalore, 574 153, India

    Vinutha Pudiyaneravana Ramanand

  3. Department of Physics, BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru, 560 019, India

    Kaliprasad Chikkahalkur Shivanandappa

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  1. Sandesh Achari
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Edited by Prof. Stelios Stoulos (ASSOCIATE EDITOR) / Prof. Savka Dineva (CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF).

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Achari, S., Ramanand, V.P., Shivanandappa, K.C. et al. Evaluation of radiological hazards and trace element contamination around thermal power plant at Udupi on the Southwest coast of India. Acta Geophys. 71, 1289–1303 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-023-01048-x

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