PROF. KARUNAKARA NAREGUNDI
Coordinator
Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Radioactivity (CARER)
Mangalore University
Mangalagangothri – 574 199.

His research interests are :
• Radiation Protection, Radioecology, and Instrumentation
• Studies on transfer factors and transfer coefficients for radioactive and non radioactive elements in the environment with emphasis on transfer factor to food chain around the nuclear facilities and mining regions
• Carbon-14 and Tritium measurements
• Baseline studies around proposed nuclear facilities and mining regions
• Impact assessment around operational facilities
• Neutron Activation Analyses
• Development of new techniques for radiation measurements
• Use of radionuclides for studying environment behavior and problems – Application of 137Cs and 210Pb to study the soil erosion and sedimentation rate measurements of reservoirs

Dr. Karunakara has been working in this field for 25 years and has authored 82 research publications in journals and about 160 presentations in conferences. He is also a reviewer for several international journals, teaches courses on radiation protection and guides Ph D scholars. He was the Guest Editors for a special volume of Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Elsevier and recently published a special issue of Journal of Environmental Radioactivity on Polonium and Radioactive Pb isotopes.

Dr. Karunakara was awarded with the prestigious Dr. A. K. Ganguly Felicitation Award in the year 2012 by the Indian Association for Radiation Protection (IARP) for his outstanding contributions in radio-ecological studies and developing new measurement techniques. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has indentified him as an Expert in radiecological studies. He has scientific collaboration with many countries. He has guided 5 students for their Ph D and currently guiding 8 students. He has 5 ongoing major research projects and completed 3 projects so far.

Dr Karunakara was instrumental in establishing a Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Radioactivity (CARER. He has 5 ongoing major research projects and completed 4 projects so far.

I worked in CARER for my Ph.D. on “Studies on Radiation Level, Radionuclides and Trace Elements Concentration in Environmental Matrices around Gogi Uranium Mining Region”. CARER has world class facility for Ultra Low Background High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometer systems. CARER has modern advanced user friendly Radiation Detectors and many other sophisticated instruments which lead to Researchers dream come true. During my research studies, I had the opportunity to work in Gogi Uranium mineralisation region of North Karnataka.
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I worked in CARER for my Ph D on ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn measurement techniques and modelling for the adsorption of radioactive gas through porous media. CARER has world class facility for ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn measurements. At CARER we developed a technology and prototype system for ²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn mitigation from off-gas streams of uranium and thorium processing facilities. The technology was transferred to BARC. This programme is of national importance. During my research studies, I had the opportunity to work in BARC Mumbai, IIT Bombay and many other DAE institutes.

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I am working in CARER for my Ph D on standardisation of techniques for the measurement of tritium (OBT and TFWT) in environmental matrices and evaluation of Population Doses in the vicinity of PHWR nuclear power plant, Kaiga. CARER has world class facility for ¹⁴C and ³H measurements. At CARER, we have world class facilities such as Pyrolyser, Quantlus-1220 Liquid Scintillation Spectrometer, etc. for my research programme. During my research studies, I have the opportunity to work in Nuclear Power Plant at Kaiga, IGCAR and BARC.

I am working on Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling for the dispersion of Carbon-4 and H-3 released from the stack for different meteorological conditions. We have two powerful Computation Fluid Dynamics software modules - Fluidyn-PANACHE and Fluidyn-VENTCLIM- for Theoretical modelling. In addition to theoretical modelling, we perform actual measurements of C-14 and H-3 at different ground monitoring points around Kaiga nuclear power plant using advanced instruments such as MRB 500 automated bubblers and oxidizers.

I am working on the validation of sample oxidation, and Liquid Scintillation Spectrometry (LSC) based 14C measurements by Accelerator Mass spectrometry technique, and Development of reference materials, which are specific and representative of an environment of nuclear power plants of India, for validation of liquid scintillation spectrometry-based 14C measurements. We measure 14C by liquid scintillation spectrometry method at CARER and validate the results using advanced Accelerator Mass spectrometry system available at Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi.

I am working on Mangalore University - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam MoU research project which is aimed at establishing a database on site-specific transfer factors for natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in relation with the identified and established terrestrial environmental pathways for Kalpakkam region. This project also has an objective to study the physicochemical parameters of soil and assessment of the bioavailability of radionuclides in soil and develop database and empirical relationships between soil parameters and bioavailability of radionuclides in soil.

I am working on calibration and inter-comparison of active and passive radon progeny detectors in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Hirosaki University. CARER has the world-class facility for 222Rn, 220Rn and its progeny measurements including the walk-in type calibration chamber which is first of its kind in India