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

Abstract

The background radiation of Maryland School Complex was taken using RS-125 hand-held gamma spectrometer. The average concentration of the measured radionuclides were 19.16, 46.14, 165.00 Bq/kg for 238U, 232Thand 40K, respectively. The average value of measured dose rate and the estimated dose rate were 44.93 and 43.55Bq/kg. The mean values of the estimated radiological parameter were 53.45, 213.78μSv/y for indoor and outdoor annual effective dose. The excess lifetime cancer risk averaged 0.17, the hazard indices were 0.26 and 0.32 for external and internal respectively. The annual gonadal dose and radium equivalent were 303.90 μSv/y and 97.85 Bq/kg, while the gamma representative index was 0.69. The mean concentration of radionuclides measured and the estimated radiological parameter were within the recommended values. This therefore follows that the risk of exposure to ionizing radiation for both the staff and the students of the community is within acceptable limits.