The radiation dose and distribution coefficient of 210Po and 210Pb concentrations in aquatic environs of major rivers of coastal Karnataka

The activity of Po-210 and Pb-210 was measured in different matrices of aquatic ecosystem of the major rivers of Coastal Karnataka viz, Kali, Sharavathi and Netravathi. The environmental samples such as surface water, suspended particulate matter and sediment have been subjected to analyses. The activity of these two radionuclides were determined by radiochemical separation of Po-210 and counting the activity using a ZnS(Ag) alpha counter. The activity ratio of Po-210 and Pb-210 and correlation between the activity of these radionuclides were studied. From the measured concentration of Po-210 and Pb-210, the internal Committed Effective Dose to the population for the study area was calculated. The distribution coefficient K-d between water, suspended particulate matter and sediments have been calculated to understand the distribution and accumulation of these radionuclides in different matrices of the aquatic environment.