[en] After 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, Kudankulam nuclear project in South India however became the rallying point of large-scale protests. Agitators argued shutting down the Kudankulam project citing legal irregularities and safety comprises, and government on the other hand was convinced about the safety and desirability of the project. The project was finally challenged before the Madras High Court and as appeal before the Supreme Court of India. In this paper, using Protection Motivation Theory, we construct a narrative through public apprehension how judiciary performed the role of risk adjudicator and communicator. The court concluded that the project is safe; effectively persuading both the sides to see rationality in the arguments made. (author)

[en] The objective of this study was to establish baseline data on radiation levels and radionuclide concentrations in environmental matrices around the Challakere region, a town in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. This region is poised to become a major zone with the setting up of several scientific and industrial projects and therefore, a baseline study on radiation level and radionuclides distribution was very essential. In this paper we present the results of activity concentrations of "2"2"6Ra, "2"3"2Th, "4"0K. Soil samples collected from the study area with a diameter of around 60 km. Soil samples were analysed by gamma spectrometry method employing a 37% nominal efficiency p-type broad energy germanium (BeGe-HPGe) detector. The activity concentrations of primordial radionuclides "2"2"6Ra, "2"3"2Th and "4"0K in soil varied in the ranges 8.3-47.6 Bq kg"-"1, 8.6-160.8 Bq kg"-"1, 325.8-1392.0 Bq kg"-"1 with corresponding mean values of 21.8 Bq kg"-"1, 54.5 Bq kg"-"1 and 687.8 Bq kg"-"1 respectively. These values are comparable to those reported for other parts of India as well as with the worldwide values reported in UNSCEAR (2000). (author)

[en] Characterization of a walk-in ²²²Rn calibration chamber installed at the Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Radioactivity (CARER), Mangalore University for its spatial uniformity of ²²²Rn concentration is taken up using passive, CR-39 based Raduet detectors. The detectors were exposed by placing at various positions in the chamber with a maximum spatial resolution of 0.1 m, 0.07 m and 0.09 m in the x,y,z direction respectively, in a semi dynamic mode of chamber operation. The detectors were exposed for a mean ²²²Rn concentrations of 201 ± 1688 Ba.m^-3 and 5220 ± 548 Bq.m^-3, at a constant relative humidity (RH) for 60% and temperature (T) of 28 ° in the chamber. A good spatial uniformity in ²²²Rn concentration inside the calibration chamber was observed with coefficient of variation (CV%) for track densities of <13%. (author)

[en] The paper presents results of "7Be and "2"1"0Pb concentration measurements in terrestrial and atmospheric samples of Kaiga region. The measurements were performed by gamma spectrometry using a 50% relative efficiency p-type broad energy band HPGe detector. The concentrations of "7Be and "2"1"0Pb in air varied in the ranges of 0.8-5.9 mBq m"-"3 and 0.6-4.7 mBq m"-"3 respectively. The soil and vegetation samples showed significant activity concentrations of these naturally occurring radionuclides, "7Be activity in plants varied in the range of <1.13- 126.8 Bq kg"-"1 and that of "2"1"0Pb in the range of <0.9-184.6 Bq kg"-"1. (author)

[en] Highlights: • Method based on batch combustion using a tube furnace was optimised for ¹⁴C measurement in environmental biota. • CO₂ produced from the combustion of the sample was cryogenically isolated from the combustion products. • MDA value of 13 Bq kg⁻¹C for a counting time of 300 min was achieved. • Accurate results with a deviation of • Small excess ¹⁴C in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant was quantified. Accelerator mass spectrometry and benzene synthesis coupled with liquid scintillation spectrometry are often used for accurate measurements of ¹⁴C activity in the environmental matrices. Thermal oxidation is one of the methods employed for ¹⁴C determination in environmental matrices. In this method, the sample is oxidised at high temperature (600–900 °C) to convert carbon species to CO₂ and trapped in an amine-based absorber for determining the activity in a liquid scintillation counting (LSC) system. In this study, the performance of a commercially available tube furnace system (pyrolyser), for batch combustion of samples, was evaluated for the determination of ¹⁴C specific activity in terrestrial biota samples. Significant improvements over the manufacturer specified method, which is primarily designed for analysis of samples with activity well above the environmental background level, was implemented to achieve accurate determination of ¹⁴C specific activity at ambient background level. In the improved method, the CO₂ produced from the combustion of the sample was isolated from the combustion products through cryogenic trapping and then absorbed in the absorber (Carbo-Sorb E) through a simple off-line transfer process. This allowed (i) optimisation of CO₂ absorption by the absorber (2.2477 g of CO₂/10 mL), (ii) achieving good accuracy and precision in the measurements, and a minimum detectable activity value of 13 Bq kg⁻¹C for a counting time of 300 min (7 Bq kg⁻¹C for 1000 min), (iii) avoiding uncertainty associated with the determination of recovery of ¹⁴C in the combustion and trapping process, and (iv) elimination of the need for an independent determination of carbon content (%) for expressing the results in terms of ¹⁴C specific activity. The method is capable of yielding accurate results with a deviation of 14C specific activity in typical terrestrial biota samples of clean air region (region not affected by local anthropogenic sources) and for the quantification of a small increase in the ¹⁴C activity above ambient levels in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant is demonstrated.

[en] The main objective of the study is to determine the atmospheric deposition fluxes of ⁷Be and ²¹⁰Pb and mass interception factor of some predominant plant species around Mangalore, West Coast of India. The ⁷Be (T_1/2=53.3 d) is a cosmogenic radionuclide formed primarily in stratosphere and upper troposphere by spallation reactions with atmospheric oxygen, nitrogen and carbon with high energy protons and neutrons. The ²¹⁰Pb is a naturally occurring terrigenic radionuclide (T_1/2=22.2 y) produced at ground level air by decay of ²²²Rn, which diffuses from the ground surface to the atmosphere mainly from continental surfaces. Wet deposition is a major route for transfer of radionuclides from the upper atmosphere to Earth's surface and in this process some fraction will be intercepted and retained by the vegetation. Physico-chemical properties of ¹²⁷Cs is similar to ⁷Be, hence ⁷Be can be used as a tracer to determine mass interception factor

[en] Soil contains radionuclides of natural origin belonging to uranium and thorium series and ⁴⁰K in addition to stable elements. The concentration of different elements in the soil depends mainly on the parent material from which it was formed. We have carried out a detailed baseline study on radiation levels, radionuclide concentrations, and heavy metals concentration in different environmental matrices of Gogi region. In this paper we analyze the correlation between radionuclides and stable elements concentration in the soils of Gogi region

[en] It is well known that the galactic cosmic rays (GCR) are strongly modulated by the solar activity through 11 year solar cycle. Extensive measurements of Beryllium-7(⁷Be) concentrations in air were carried out in Mangalore, West Coast of India, in order to understand the dependence of its concentration with the solar activity (Sunspot number). A trend of inverse relationship between solar activity and ⁷Be concentration was observed. High ⁷Be concentration in air is accompanied with low sunspot number and vice-versa confirming that solar activity plays an important role on the production rate of cosmogenic radionuclide such as ⁷Be. (author)

[en] Air exchange rate is an important parameter for assessing population exposure due to both conventional pollutants and radon, from the knowledge of source terms. It is generally estimated using CO₂ concentration decay data. In the present paper we demonstrate the application of ²²²Rn as a natural tracer for determining indoor Air Change Rates (ACR) from the time series data on ²²²Rn concentration. ACR is estimated at different workplaces through time series analysis. The method has shown promising results and has potential advantages over conventional methods and these are discussed in this paper. (author)

[en] An advanced walk-in type calibration chamber facility for ²²²Rn and its progeny measuring device is designed, fabricated and installed at Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Radioactivity (CARER), Mangalore University as a National Facility, through funding from Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS), Government of India. The objective of establishing the facility is to serve to the radon research groups of India so that data generated by them on ²²²Rn and progeny will have traceability to the international primary and secondary standards. Quality control and quality assurance of the data generated on ²²²Rn and progeny by various research groups through large scale surveys is crucial for accurate assessment of radiation doses to the public. Validations of the indigenously developed passive as well as active radon and progeny measuring devices are another objective of the calibration facility