RADIOMETRIC AND CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SALINE SOIL SAMPLES OF PACCA ANNA, FAISALABAD

Some saline soils from Pacca Anna, District Faisalabad, Pakistan were analyzed for the naturally occurring radionuclides of K, the uranium and thorium series; and a fission product Cs was determined by the gamma ray spectroscopy using high purity Germanium (HPGe) detector. The soil samples were collected from the depths of plough layer i.e. 0-25 cm with 5cm increments. After crushing and drying, these samples were stored in radon impermeable plastic containers for at least forty days in order to bring Rn and its short-lived daughter products in secular equilibrium with Ra. The geometric dimensions of the samples were identical with those containing the reference materials from IAEA. The concentration range of different radionuclides in becquerel per kg (Bq kg) of dry mass of soil samples were observed for K to lie in the range 563.24619.57 Bq kg 499.24-604.20 Bq kg and 614.45-670.77 Bq kg for the virgin, fertilized, and NIAB soils, respectively. The concentration values of Cs for virgin, fertilized, and NIAB soils ranged between 3.57-3.63 Bq kg, 1.98-5.15 Bq kg and 2.12-3.15 Bq kg, respectively. For Th the results are given as 45.6361.99 Bq kg, 48.55-54.30 Bq kg and 51.69-60.03 Bq kg for the same soils. For the radioisotopes Ra the results are 27.34-32.66 Bq kg, 24.29-28.61 Bq kg and 28.61-32.66 Bq kg, respectively.