In-situ assessment of background gamma radiation dose levels in outdoor environment of Enugu urban areas, Enugu state, Nigeria

Ugbede, Fredrick Oghenebrorie; Akpolile, Anita Franklin; Ibeh, G. F.; Mokobia, C.E.

doi:10.1080/15275922.2020.1850562

Cited by 12 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 44 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…On the other hand, the values were lower than what Jayasinghe et al 42 obtained for food crops from a high background area of Sri Lanka. Such variations in dose levels can be attributed to differences in radionuclide content in the environment, agricultural practices, and geological characteristics of the study areas, and such disparities could arise from differences in soil compositions, geological factors, and historical mining activities which is evident from the mine wastes which were dumped in landfills and surface dumps 43 within the study area. Furthermore, the annual effective dose values obtained in this study were generally higher than the world average values reported by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) in 2000.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiological Analysis of Cassava Samples From a Coal Mining Area in Enugu State Nigeria

Amakom,

Orji,

Okeoma

et al. 2023

Environ�Health�Insights

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cassava holds a vital position as a staple food in Nigeria, forming a significant portion of the daily diet for the population. Unfortunately, food intake can serve as a pathway for radiological contamination in humans and animals. In this study conducted in an old coal mining area in Enugu State, Nigeria, cassava samples from the area were analyzed using gamma ray spectroscopy. The results revealed significant mean activity concentrations of the radionuclides 40K, 226Ra, and 232Th in camp 1, camp 2, and Pottery areas. The activity concentration ranged from 193.68 to 300.92 Bq/kg for 40 K, 23.03 to 37.24 Bq/kg for 226Ra, and 135.33 to 158.43 Bq/kg for 232Th, respectively. Of concern is the total mean annual effective dose resulting from exposure to these 3 observed radionuclides that was calculated to be 2.03 mSv/yr. This value exceeds the recommended limit of 1 mSv/yr, indicating potential health risks associated with the radiological contamination from cassava consumption in this region. In summary, the study shows that cassava samples from the investigated area exhibited elevated levels of radiotoxicity, raising concerns about the safety of consuming cassava from this region as a food source.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiological Analysis of Cassava Samples From a Coal Mining Area in Enugu State Nigeria

Amakom,

Orji,

Okeoma

et al. 2023

Environ�Health�Insights

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…At the local level, some studies collected measurements of outdoor gamma radiation in urban environments within limited areas ( 8 , 22 – 27 ), while, at the national level, the UNSCEAR reported that less than 10% of national surveys on outdoor gamma radiation exposure have been conducted in urban environments ( 4 ). This significantly low percentage is justified by considering the difficulties associated with the selection of measurement points, assuring high population and territory coverage as well as easy access, the need for personnel to carry out measurements at locations that are typically distant from each other, the high costs for instrumentation, and the long duration of the study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A large and feasible national survey representative of population exposure to outdoor gamma radiation in urban areas

Carpentieri,

Maiorana,

Ampollini

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundAlthough data on outdoor gamma radiation are available for many countries, they have generally been obtained with measurements performed in undisturbed environments instead of in urban areas where most of the population lives. Only one large national survey, with on-site measurements in urban areas, has been identified worldwide, probably due to high costs (e.g., personnel and instrumentation) and difficulties in selecting measuring points.MethodsA campaign of outdoor gamma radiation measurements has been carried out in the entire Italian territory. All measurement points were selected at the infrastructures of an Italian telecommunications company as representatives of all the possible situations of outdoor exposure to gamma radiation for population in urban areas. Ten replicates of portable gamma (X) detectors carried out all the measurements.ResultsApproximately 4,000 measurements have been performed. They are distributed across 2,901 Italian municipalities, accounting for 75% of the Italian population. The national population-weighted mean of the gamma ambient dose equivalent rate (ADER) is 117 nSv h−1, and it ranges from 62 to 208 nSv h−1 and from 40 to 227 nSv h−1 for 21 regions and 107 provinces, respectively. The average variability at the municipal level, in terms of the coefficient of variation (CV) is 21%, ranging from 3 to 84%. The impact of land coverage and the distance from a building on the outdoor gamma radiation level was assessed with complementary measurements, leading to differences ranging from −40 to 50% and to 50%, respectively.ConclusionA representative campaign of outdoor gamma dose rate measurements has been performed in Italy, only in urban areas, to assess the exposure effect due to outdoor gamma radiation on the population. It is the largest national campaign in urban areas worldwide, with a total of 3,876 on-site measurements. The land coverage and the distance from surrounding buildings were recognized to strongly affect outdoor gamma radiation levels, leading to high variability within small areas. The collaboration with a company that owns a network of facilities on a national territory as dense as the residing population made this survey feasible and affordable. Other countries might adopt this methodology to conduct national surveys in urban environments.

show abstract

Outdoor γ-radiation: seasonal variation and health risk assessment associated with its exposure in northern districts of Haryana, India

Tanwer

Anand

Kant

et al. 2023

J Radioanal Nucl Chem

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In-situ assessment of background gamma radiation dose levels in outdoor environment of Enugu urban areas, Enugu state, Nigeria

Cited by 12 publications

References 44 publications

Radiological Analysis of Cassava Samples From a Coal Mining Area in Enugu State Nigeria

Radiological Analysis of Cassava Samples From a Coal Mining Area in Enugu State Nigeria

A large and feasible national survey representative of population exposure to outdoor gamma radiation in urban areas

Outdoor γ-radiation: seasonal variation and health risk assessment associated with its exposure in northern districts of Haryana, India

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About