Evaluation of excess life time cancer risk due to natural radioactivity of the Lignite samples of the Nichahoma, lignite belt, North Kashmir, India.

Naturally occurring radionuclides of the ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K present in the lignite samples was measured by using a low-background Pb-shielded gamma spectroscopic counting assembly utilizing NaI(Tl) detector for the measurement and to evaluation the radiation hazard indices and excess life time cancer risk. The average values of specific activity concentrations in the investigated lignite samples was found to be 45.36 Bq kg⁻¹ for ²²⁶Ra, 21.42 Bq kg⁻¹ for ²³²Th, 40.51 Bq kg⁻¹ for ⁴⁰K and 79.11 Bq kg⁻¹ for Ra_eq respectively. The average value excess life time cancer risk was found to be relatively higher than the world average. Moreover, the correlation analysis shows the strong dependence of excess lifetime cancer risk on measured dose and the radium equivalent activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]