World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

A STUDY OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY IN SELECTED SEAWEEDS OF COASTAL KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA.

*P. Mary Saroja

ABSTRACT

In the present study, the gross alpha, gross beta and gross gamma activities of three selected seaweeds viz: Ulva lactuca (green), Sargassum Wightii (brown) and Gracillaria edulis (red) were estimated. The selected seaweeds were collected in two seasons, pre monsoon (August 2015) and post monsoon season (December 2015) from Muttom and Kanyakumari coasts of Kanyakumari District. The gross alpha activity was measured using alpha PNC model, gross beta and gross gamma activities were measured using PNC model – 1G. Among the selected seaweeds brown algae (S. wightii) showed higher gross alpha activity than the other two marine macro algae (U. lactuca and G. edulis). The mean gross beta activity of U. lactuca (green algae) was 651.69 Bq/Kg, G. edulis (red algae) 104.5Bq/Kg, S. wightii (brown) 286.42 Bq/Kg. The mean gross alpha activities of samples collected from Muttom coast (408.83 Bq/Kg) was found to be higher than the samples from Kanyakumari coast (241.23 Bq/Kg)). All the three seaweeds under investigation recorded higher amount of gross beta activity during post monsoon season than the pre monsoon season. The mean gross beta activity of the selected seaweed samples from Kanyakumari coast was 537.04 Bq/Kg and Muttom coast was 304.51 Bq/Kg.The mean gross gamma activity in seaweed samples from Kanyakumari coast is 381.43 Bq/Kg and Muttom coast 474.00 Bq/Kg indicating locational variation.

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