Calculation of the radiation doses occurring in the human body for inadvertent ingestion of soil and other soil exposure pathways

Abstract

We estimate the radiation doses in the human body, in the Gudalore region in India, following the inadvertent ingestion of soil and exposure to other soil pathways by measuring Th-232, U-238, and K-40. We estimate the equivalent dose in eleven different organs and the absorbed dose calculations for the whole body. The annual effective doses are calculated, the lowest is in Kariyasolai at 7.8 x 10(-3) mSv whereas the highest is in Ponnur at 8.9 x 10(-2) mSv. In all regions, the lowest equivalent doses through inadvertent soil ingestion are calculated in the kidney and thyroid whereas the highest doses are in the red marrow and on the bone surface.