Title: Estimation of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K concentrations in rock and soil samples around South Purulia Shear Zone, India

Authors: Saurabh Mittal; R. Guin; S.P. Sharma; D. Sengupta

Addresses: Department of Geology & Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur - 721302, West Bengal, India ' Accelerator Chemistry Section, Radiochemistry Division (BARC), Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, 1/AF, Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata - 700064, West Bengal, India ' Department of Geology & Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur - 721302, West Bengal, India ' Department of Geology & Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur - 721302, West Bengal, India

Abstract: The first few measurements for low level gamma ray spectrometry for the delineation of U and Th along South Purulia Shear Zone (SPSZ) are reported. Estimation of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K concentrations in widely dispersed rock and soil samples around SPSZ has been undertaken using HPGe detector having relative efficiency of 50%. The maximum concentration among all the samples studied is observed in the sample close to the Beldih region, SPSZ. An attempt has been made to study the variation in the concentration of these rock and soil samples with respect to location from the shear zone. Central part of the shear zone is found to contain higher concentration of radionuclides than the samples from the periphery. This proves that intensity of shearing controls the activity of radionuclides in a sample, apart from alteration, metamorphism, weathering, etc. A comparison of radionuclide activities of soil samples in study area with other studies worldwide is reported.

Keywords: natural radioactivity; gamma ray spectrometry; SPSZ; India; thorium; shear zone; uranium concentration; low radiation; uranium delineation; activity variation; uranium activity; shearing; soil samples; radionuclides.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2013.055602

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2013 Vol.9 No.2, pp.110 - 118

Received: 27 Dec 2012
Accepted: 16 Apr 2013
Published online: 13 Sep 2014 *

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