Radioactivity level in soil of a palaeo beach in the south-eastern part of Bangladesh and evaluation of radiation hazard.

A small part of the palaeo beach formation extending along the south-eastern fringe of Bangladesh was selected as study area. The sandy beach formation, enriched with heavy mineral sands containing ²³²Th-bearing monazite, is covered by a thin layer of top soil. Activity concentrations of natural and artificial radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs), outdoor and indoor annual effective dose rates and the radiation hazard indices were determined in the soil.