A relative comparison of activities due to U and Th daughter products and its concentration in soils from different regions

Soil samples collected from various places of southern peninsula of India, Andaman islands and Antarctica (Peterimann mountains) were analysed using gamma spectrometry to study the nature of concentration of U and Th in the soil matrix and their equilibrium status. For this study prominent gamma lines from the daughter products of U and Th were measured using a pre-calibrated high resolution 50 cc Ge detector. The contributions due to natural soil/rock formations such as monazite sands, granite rock formations etc. are assessed in the case of the above samples. The extent of variation of concentration of the two radionuclides viz. U and Th present in such matrices and the equilibrium/disequilibrium status of daughter products are discussed in this paper. (author). 3 refs., 6 tabs