Natural gamma radiation level detection in agriculture soil after Aila disaster and comparison with deep soil gamma activity in a specific area of Sundarban region, Satkhira, Banglsdesh

The present work was conducted on some soil samples collected from Shamnagar upazila of Satkhira district of south-west part of world largest mangrove forest Sundarban Rezion, Bangladesh which were affected by natural disaster cyclone Aila.

The soil samples were analyzed to determine terrestrial γ-ray activity using HPGe γ-ray spectrometry. The measurements conducted in the current study showed that primordial radionuclides namely the 238U and 232Th and 40K are contained in all the soil samples.

The obtained results of the average activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K were found to be within the range of the world average of 17-60, 11-64, 140-850 Bq.kg-1 reported by UNSCEAR. The radiation dose is below the permissible limit of 1mSvy-1 recommended by IAEA (2007). No peak of 137Cs from the decay activity was found in the spectrum in the present work.

The present work will be useful in providing environmental monitoring data base of those particular areas.