Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences

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ARTICLE IN Volume 5, 2010 - Number 1

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MINERALS AND NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES IN RIVER SEDIMENTS



Venkidasamy RAMASAMY1*, Govindasamy SURESH1, Venkatasubramanian MEENAKSHISUNDARAM2 & Velladurai PONNUSAMY1
1Department of Physics, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamilnadu, India
1Health and Safety Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, Tamilnadu, India
* Corresponding author E-mail: srsaranram@rediffmail.com

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Abstract

The distribution and characterization of minerals in Ponnaiyar River sediments are carried out using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic technique. The minerals such as quartz, feldspar in different structure, kaolinite, calcite, gibbsite, montmorillonite, smectite, organic carbon and palygorskite are identified. The relative distribution of major minerals such as quartz, feldspar (orthoclase and microcline) and kaolinite are determined by calculating extinction co-efficient. From this calculation, the amount of kaolinite is very much lesser than quartz and lesser than orthoclase and microcline feldspar. The naturally occurring radionuclides (238U, 232Th and 40K) and associated absorbed dose rate are determined by Gamma ray spectroscopic technique. The determined activity concentrations and average absorbed dose rate of all sites are fall within the typical world and Indian average values. Correlation analysis is carried out for distributions of quartz, feldspar (orthoclase and microcline) and kaolinite and naturally occurring radionuclides, with associated absorbed dose rate. Correlation analysis shows that the kaolinite (clay mineral) may act as a booster of level of natural radioactivity.
Keywords:
  • FTIR
  • Gamma
  • ray
  • spectroscopy
  • Minerals
  • Radioactivity
  • River
  • sediments

How to cite

Venkidasamy RAMASAMY, Govindasamy SURESH, Venkatasubramanian MEENAKSHISUNDARAM & Velladurai PONNUSAMY (2010). DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MINERALS AND NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIONUCLIDES IN RIVER SEDIMENTS

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