A review on current status of radioactivity monitoring in Indian nonnuclear industries

Abstract

The distribution of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) generated/discharged in nonnuclear industries such as coal combustion residuals from different coal-based power plants, fertilizer, construction, tobacco, and other industries into the environment, has not been reviewed in the Indian context. In the present review, systematic survey and analysis of the reported occurrence of U238, Th232, and K40 in these nonnuclear industrial sectors is discussed. Most of the data compiled and described in this review are sourced from major popularly referred, peer-reviewed scientific journal publications since the year 2005. Apart from radioactivity levels in products from nonnuclear industrial sectors different radiological indices such as absorbed dose, dose rate, etc., are also compared and discussed. Overall, this review presents a comprehensive analysis of NORMs in nonnuclear industrial sectors of India.