Background Radiation from 238U, 232Th, and 40K in Bells Area and Canaan City, Ota, Nigeria

Abstract

Natural radionuclides are present in every constituent of the environment. Monitoring of environmental radionuclides is very vital to avoid exposure above the threshold limit. Due to this, the background radiation from 238U, 232Th, and 40K of Bell University of Technology and Canaan Land City was determined from 20 sample points each in the two areas using RS230 Gamma Spectrometer. The mean activity concentration of 40K, 238U, and 232Th for Bells University of Technology was 442.66 Bq/kg, 41.98 Bq/kg, and 48.35 Bq/Kg, respectively. In Canaan City, mean activity concentration of 40K, 238U, and 232Th was 373.65 Bq/kg, 18.85 Bq/kg, and 67.22 Bq/kg, respectively. The mean absorbed dose rates recorded by the spectrometer directly were 70.03 nGy/h and 66.65 nGy/h, while that estimated from the activity concentration were 67.06 and 64.89 nGy/h for Bells University and Canaan City, respectively. The measured and estimated absorbed dose rates were higher than the safe limit of 57 nGy/h. The mean values of other radiological parameters estimated, except that of the gamma index and excess lifetime cancer risk were lower when compared to the recommended limit. It could be concluded that the possibility of suffering any radiation risk is low in these two areas, but there is possibility of cancer risk for someone that has stayed in the area for 70 years and above.

Evaluation of background radiation of Maryland School complex, Lagos, Nigeria

“…The measurement of potassium is direct and is recorded in % while that of uranium and thorium are recorded in ppm [1][2][3]. The measured concentrations were changed to Bequerel per kilograms using the factors reported by [9,12].…”

“…The gamma spectrometer was switched off after taken reading in each sampling point before proceeding to the next sampled point, for the auto-stabilization of the equipment [3]. The dose rate mean value and assay mode reading were determined to reduce experimental error [12].…”

“…DCF K C K + DCF U C U + DCF Th C Th are dose factors and radionuclides concentration 40 K, 238 U, and 232 Th in the samples respectively [12,[15][16][17].…”

Assessment of Activity concentrations of radioactive elements in selected groundwater samples of Kwara State Polytechnic and its environs, North Central Nigeria

“…Therefore monitoring and assessing groundwater quality based on radionuclides concentration is very important. However, many researchers within Nigeria have reported radionuclides and their health hazards in Air [6,7], building blocks [8], soil and water samples [1,[9][10][11] in mining fields [12,13], and in coaster sandy plain [14] etc., but very little information was reported about radionuclides in groundwater especially within the area. Therefore, the call for this research work in Kwara Polytechnic and its environs becomes necessary since most of the lands within the area were used as either dump-sites or farmland and an outbreak of water borne diseases as reported by some clinics within the area.…”

“…Sample Grdw-15 has the highest value of dose equivalence with the followings: (Infant is 5.87 mSv/y, 1 year is 4.956, 5 years is 3.25 mSv/y, 10 years is 2.42, 15 years is 1.908 mSv/y and lastly Adult is 1.68 mSv/y. also noticeable from the plots (Figures[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]…”