PRIMORDIAL RADIONUCLIDES ACTIVITY AND EXTERNAL RADIATION HAZARD INDEX EVALUATION IN PULICAT LAKE SEDIMENTS, SOUTH EAST COAST OF INDIA

The present paper discuss about the primordial radionuclides such as 238U, 232Th and 40K levels in the sediments of Pulicat Lagoon in South Eastern coastal of India. The study was a novel attempt and ten sampling station were fixed in the Pulicat Lagoon region. Concentrations of Primordial radionuclides were determined by using a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector of 30% relative efficiency. Primordial radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K in the sediments values were found to be Below Detectable Level (BDL) to 14.8±4.9 Bq/Kg, BDL to 18.6±5.4 Bq/Kg and 498.3±54.0 to 549.5±23.0 Bq/Kg respectively, Radiation hazard index (Hext) found as minimum value 0.727 and maximum 0.878. The present study concluded that the primordial radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K values are within the world’s permissible limit, which indicates that the study area was radiologically safe for humans.