Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2025

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
Distribution of 210Po activity and soil texture in agricultural soil
Meril Charles1, Ebin Thomas1, Ruchila Chandran1
1Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Physics, St Aloysius College (Autonomous), Mangalore 575003, India.
Abstract:
The assessment of 210Po in agricultural soil matrices in different regions of Kerala and Karnataka was studied. The wet ash method was used to find the activity concentration of 210Po. The alpha activity was counted using a silver-activated zinc sulfide counter of 30% efficiency, and the activity was calculated. The average concentration of 210Po activity in soil samples ranged from 0.09 to 20.52 Bq kg-1, with an average value of 4.47 Bq kg-1. The soil texture was measured using the International Pipette method. Using the IBM Statistical Package of Social Science Software, the frequency distribution curve of 210Po is plotted and found to be lognormal. The data of 210Po are highly skewed, and the Kurtosis has a significant positive value. The 210Po activity concentrations are substantially within the World Health Organization's recommended limits.
Related Concept Videos
Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating
Biological Effects of Radiation
Types of Radioactivity
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
The Soil Ecosystem

