An assessment of radionuclides level, radon and thoron exhalation rate in hill and field soil of Mahendergarh district in Haryana, India

To investigate the activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides such as ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K, as well as the presence of radon (²²²Rn) and thoron (²²⁰Rn) in the vicinity of the Aravalli Mountain range in Mahendergarh, India, a comprehensive study was conducted. We meticulously examined soil samples obtained from both field and hill areas using NaI (Tl) detector based on gamma spectroscopy. It is noteworthy that concentrations were found lower than the global average values. Notably, the hill soil samples exhibited a higher activity concentration in comparison to the field soil samples. Overall, in terms of radium equivalent activity (²²⁶Ra), gamma absorbed dose rate, and the internal hazard index, our findings did not reveal any significant radiological risks.