Studies on radionuclides around Hemavathi river basin of Karnataka, India

The activity concentration and total annual effective dose of the terrestrial naturally occurring radionuclides ( 232 Th, 226 Ra and 40 K) were measured in soil and rock samples collected from various locations of Hemavathi river basin in Karnataka, using HPGe detector. The results revealed that activity concentration of radionuclides 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K in the soil had geometrical mean values of 16.7 ± 0.6, 33.9 ± 1.2 and 359.9 ± 9.2 Bq kg −1 , respectively. In rock samples activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K had geometrical mean values of 20.2 ± 0.7, 18.0 ± 0.9 and 276 ± 9.6 Bq kg −1 , respectively. The external Hazard index and indoor hazard index were found to be within safety limits prescribed by European commission 1999 report.