Distribution of ²¹⁰Pb in the riverine environs of coastal Kerala

The paper deals with the distribution and behavior of ²¹⁰Pb in the river bank soil samples of three major rivers namely Bharathapuzha, Periyar and Kallada rivers of Kerala. The soil samples were collected and analyzed for ²¹⁰Pb using standard radiochemical analytical techniques. The dependence of ²¹⁰Pb activity of organic matter content in the samples was studied. The mean activity of ²¹⁰Pb in the soil samples of Bharathapuzha Periyar and Kallada rivers were found to be 23.93 Bq.kg^-1, 60.67 Bq.kg^-1 and 19.13 Bq.kg^-1 respectively. The ²¹⁰Pb activity concentrations in the present study vary from place to place. This could be due to the nature of the soil and its physicochemical characteristics like pH and organic matter. Among the three rivers highest ²¹⁰Pb activity was observed in the river bank soil of the Periyar river. This could be due to high percentage of organic matter percentage in the soil samples of this region. A good correlation was found between ²¹⁰Pb activity with organic matter content for Bharathapuzha and Periyar rivers. (author)