Assessment of natural radioactivity in the sea-beaches of Bangladesh

The present research work was aimed to study the ambient radiation environment of the most popular sea-beaches of Bangladesh. The average activity concentrations of radioactive elements such as 232 Th, 238 U and 40 K of beach sand samples were measured by gamma-ray spectrometry using an HPGe detector and found to be higher than the internationally accepted values. The absorbed γ dose rate levels of the study areas are similar to other monazite sand-bearing high background radiation areas (HBRAs) of southern and southwestern coastal regions of India and of the world. The estimated values of the radiological parameters of the present study areas were also higher than the internationally accepted values. Hence, Cox's bazaar, Kuakata and Potenga sea-beach regions can be considered as HBRAs and potential zones for monazite like radioactive sand.