Marine environmental radioactivity measurement programme in India

Coastal marine Environmental Radioactivity Measurement Programme in India assumes significance in view of massive expansion of nuclear power plants in the Asia Pacific region and to establish benchmark of specific radionuclides in coastal marine environment. In the present study Marine Environmental Surveillance was carried out along the east and west coast of India. Fallout out ¹³⁷Cs and naturally occurring ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra were assessed by in house developed in-situ pre-concentration method using copper ferrocyanide and manganese di-oxide coated filter cartridges. ¹³⁷Cs activity concentration mapped for Indian coastal region varied from 0.30 to 1.25 Bq m^-3 and these were compared with ¹³⁷Cs levels of Asia Pacific Region. The marine surveillance data also indicates no input from any source including operation of nuclear power plant in east and west coast of India. (author)