Research Journal of Chemical Sciences 
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______________________________
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ISSN 2231
-
606X
 
 
 
Vol. 
2
(
5
), 
1
7
-
22
, 
May
 
(201
2
)
 
 
Res.J.Chem.Sci.
 
 
 
International Science Congress Association
 
 
 
 
    
17
 
Mass Attenuation Coefficient Measurements in Soil Sample
 
 
Chaudhari Laxman
1
 
and Raje Dayanand
2
 
1
Nuclear Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Nowrosjee Wadia
 
College, Pune
-
411001, MS, INDIA
 
2
Department of Physics, Rajarshi Shahu Mahavidyalaya, Latur
-
413512, MS, INDIA
 
 
Available online at: 
www.isca.in
 
(Received
 
23
rd
 
February 
201
2
, revised
 
3
rd
 
March 
201
2
, accepted
 
5
th
 
March
 
201
2
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract
 
Mass attenuation coefficients of soil sample in Nanded District (M.S.,India) using gamma ray energies 360 to 1330 keV  have 
been measured. The mass attenuation coefficient usually depends upon the energy of radiations and nature of the mate
rial. The 
result represented in the form of graph. Exponential decay was observed.  This validates the gamma absorption law.
 
 
Key words:
 
 
Attenuation coefficient, gamma ray energy sources, gamma ray spectrometer, NaI (Tl) detector, etc
.
 
 
 
 
 
Introduction
 
The study of interaction of gamma radiations with the materials 
of common and industrial use, as well as of biological and 
commercial importance has become major area of interest in the 
field of radiation science. For a scienti
fic study of interaction of 
radiation with matter a proper characterization and assessment 
of penetration and diffusion of gamma rays in the external 
medium is necessary. The mass attenuation coefficient usually 
depends upon the energy of radiations and na
ture of the 
material. For characterization the penetration and diffusion of 
gamma radiation in any medium the roll of attenuation 
coefficient is very important.
 
 
An extensive data on mass attenuation coefficients of gamma 
rays in compound and mixtures of d
osimetric interest have been 
studied by Hubbel
1
 
in the energy range of 1 kev to 20 Mev. An 
updated version of attenuation coefficients for elements having 
atomic number from 1
-
92 and for 48 additional substances have 
been compiled by Hubbell 
and
 
Sheltzer
2
.
 
Other scientists such 
as Bradley
3
, Cunningham
4
, Carlsson
5
, Jahagirdar
6
, Singh
7
, The 
reports on attenuation coefficients measured by researchers 
reported
8
-
24 
for different energies for various samples in solid as 
well as liquid. 
 
 
The observations have 
been compared with values, which have 
been derived from application of the mixture rule by using the 
values for elements. In view of the importance of the study of 
gamma attenuation properties of materials and its various 
applications in science, technolog
y, agriculture and human 
health, we have embarked on a study of the absorption 
properties of soil sample contains mixture of microelements 
having physical and chemical properties.
 
 
The absorption coefficient of soil is dependent on its content 
and gamma
-
 
r
ay energy. This work describes a study of content 
dependence on measurements of attenuation of gamma
-
radiation at gamma
-
ray energies 123, 360,
 
510,
 
662,
 
840,
 
1170,
 
1280 keV of soil sample from Nanded district
,
 
MS in India.
 
 
The attenuation of gamma rays ex
pressed as:
 
 
 
I= I
o
 
exp (
-

x)
  
 
 
 
 
 
          
(1) 
 
 
Where I
o
 
is the number of particles of radiation counted during 
a certain time duration without any absorber, I is the number 
counted during the same time with a thickness 
x
 
of absorber 
between the source of radiation and the detector, and 

 

is the 
linear absorption coefficient.  This equation may be cast into the 
linear form,
 
log I = log I
o 
-
 

x          
 
i.e.   

x= log (I
o/
 
I) 
 
i.e. 

 
= (1/x) log(I
o/
I)      
 
 
 
 
           
(2)
 
 
The mass absorption coefficient of Soil 

s
 
defined as,
 

s
   
=   

/ρ
 
 
 
 
 
 
            
(3)
 
 
Where, 

s
 
is the mass attenuation coefficient and  

  
is the 
particle density of soil.
 
The unit of  

 
is cm
-
1
 
and that of 

s
   
is 
cm 
2
/gm
 
 
Material and Methods 
 
The experimental arrangement is as shown in figure. The 
gamma ray sources sealed in plastic pencil having nominal 
activity 1mCi. A NaI (Tl) crystal was used as detector in 
conjunction with counter circuits. The whole system enclosed in 
a lead castle.
 
 
Expe
rimental Setup:
 
The 
e
xperimental 
s
etup is as shown in
 
figure 2
:
 
 
 
Research Journal of Chemical Sciences 
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ISSN 2231
-
606X
 
 
Vol. 
2
(
5
), 
17
-
22
, 
May
 
(201
2
)
 
 
Res.J.Chem.Sci
 
International Science Congress Association
 
 
18
 
 
 
Figure 
-
 
1
 
 
 
Figure 
-
2
 
 
A cylindrical plastic container for soils of internal diameter 3.2 
cm placed in 
between detector and source as in figure. The path 
length of soil for Gamma ray transmission (x) = 7 cm. Source, 
Cylinder kept in a stand.
 
The assembly was placed over the 
detector. The distance between detector and source was 15.2 
Cm. The transmitted and 
scattered Gamma rays were detected 
using USB
-
MCA along with external NaI(Tl) detector
 
 
First, the cylinder was  kept empty  keeping acquisition time 
1800 sec and readings were taken for gamma rays of a 
particular energy and noted as Io. Thereafter, the pat
h length(x) 
of soil kept 7 cm and readings taken as I. Same proce
dure used 
for each samples and v
arious 
s
ources.
 
 
Results and Discussion  
 
Experimental values of number of particles of radiation without 
absorber (I
o
) per number of particles of radiation co
unted with 
absorber (I) were linearly increased with increasing thickness 
(i.e. path length in cm) as shown in following graphs. The slope 
of these graphs gives the value of the linear absorption 
coefficient.
 
 
 
Multi
-
    
channel 
Analyzer
 
 
Computer
 
 
Gamma Source
 
 
Soil Sample
 
Pb  
ccas
tle
 
    
Stand
 
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ISSN 2231
-
606X
 
 
Vol. 
2
(
5
), 
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-
22
, 
May
 
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2
)
 
 
Res.J.Chem.Sci
 
International Science Congress Association
 
 
19
 
 
Table
-
1
 
Chemical and 
Physical Properties
 
 
Sr.
 
No.
 
Properties
 
Soil Sample Contents
 
kg/hect
 
(Percentage)
 
 
(
A) CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
 
 
1
 
pH
 
7.74
 
2
 
Salty(EC) (Mesa /Cm )
 
0.30
 
3
 
Org. Compound   C%
 
1.39
 
4
 
Sulphur (kg/hector) S
 
28.38
 
5
 
Phosphorous (kg/hector)  P
 
310.46
 
6
 
Calcium 
Ca%
 
37.50
 
7
 
Magnesium Mg%
 
49.16
 
8
 
Sodium Na%
 
12.71
 
9
 
Ca Co 
3 
%
 
( Free Ca %)
 
5.25
 
 
B) PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
 
 
1
 
a) Sand%
 
48.31
 
 
b) Sandy/loam/clay loam%
 
15.10
 
 
c)Clay%
 
36.48
 
2
 
Moistness%
 
4.12
 
3
 
Water holding capacity%
 
51.05
 
4
 
Particle density 
(gm/cc)
 
2.43
 
5
 
Appearance of density (gm/cc)
 
1.41
 
6
 
Porosity
 
58.90
 
7
 
Increase in size%
 
33.43
 
 
Table
-
2
 
Soil testing report of microelements
 
Sr. No.
 
Properties
 
Normal percentage (PPM)
 
Observed percentage for soil sample (PPM)
 
1
 
Copper (Cu)
 
0.2
 
3.72
 
2
 
Iron (Fe)
 
4.5
 
4.90
 
3
 
Manganese (Mg)
 
2
 
2.12
 
4
 
Zinc (Zn)
 
0.65
 
0.62
 
 
         
 
Figure 
–
3
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
Figure
-
 
4
 
 
Thickness v/s Io/I for 123 keV            
 
 
 
  
Thickness v/s Io/I for 360 keV
 
Research Journal of Chemical Sciences 
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ISSN 2231
-
606X
 
 
Vol. 
2
(
5
), 
17
-
22
, 
May
 
(201
2
)
 
 
Res.J.Chem.Sci
 
International Science Congress Association
 
 
20
 
 
                                
 
Figure
-
5
 
 
 
 
 
 
       
Figure 
-
6 
 
Thickness v/s Io/I for 510 keV                                   
 
 
 
Thickness v/s Io/I for 662 keV
 
            
 
 
     
Figure
-
7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Figure
-
8   
 
Thickness v/s Io/I for 840  keV                              
 
 
 
Thickness v/s Io/I for 1170 keV
 
Research Journal of Chemical Sciences 
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_
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_
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ISSN 2231
-
606X
 
 
Vol. 
2
(
5
), 
17
-
22
, 
May
 
(201
2
)
 
 
Res.J.Chem.Sci
 
International Science Congress Association
 
 
21
 
            
                      
 
    
Figure
-
9
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 
-
10  
 
Thickness v/s Io/I for 1280  keV  
 
 
 
                         
Energy v/s mass attenuation coefficient
 
 
Graph of 
e
nergy v/s mass attenuation coefficient soil sample 
plotted below. Exponential decay was observed. This 
gives the 
validity of exponential absorption law, I = I
0
 
e
-
 
�x
   
where, x is 
thickness of the soil sample. This confirms the contribution of 
photoelectric absorption,
 
c
ompton scattering and pair 
production to the absorption of gamma rays by the soil sample
s. 
 
 
Conclusion
 
The effect of physical components like sand, moistness, water 
holding capacity, particle density, porosity etc. and chemical 
components like C, S, P, Ca, Na, Cu, Fe, Mg, Zn, CaCO
3
, etc. 
on linear and mass attenuation coefficient of soil sam
ples have 
been investigated at eight gamma ray energies from 123 keV to 
1280 keV. These parameters usually depend on the energy of 
the radiations and composite materials of the 
s
oil and are useful 
for quantitative evaluation of interaction of gamma rays wi
th 
various components in the 
s
oil samples. As energy increases the 
mass attenuation coefficient of soil samples decreases. The 
mass attenuation coefficient values are useful for quantitative 
evaluation of interaction of gamma radiations with soil sample.
 
T
his method is useful for the study of properties the soils in 
agriculture purposes.
 
 
Acknowledgement
 
Authors are thankful to Prin.  Dr.
 
M.M.
 
Andar, Secretary, M.E.
 
Society, Pune,  Prin. Dr.
 
B.B.
 
Thakur, Principal, Nowrosjee 
Wadia College, Pune, Dr.
 
S.L.
 
Bonde, Vice
-
Principal, Dr.
 
K.V.Desa, Head, Dept. of Physics, Nowrosjee Wadia College 
for encouragement to us.
 
 
Authors are also thankful to U.G.C.W.R.O., Pune and 
B.C.U.D., University of Pune, Pune for providing financial 
support for research. 
 
 
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1.
 
Hubbell J.H.,
 
Photon mass attenuation and energy 
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Radiat. Isot.,
 
33
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ISSN 2231
-
606X
 
 
Vol. 
2
(
5
), 
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-
22
, 
May
 
(201
2
)
 
 
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International Science Congress Association
 
 
22
 
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