Population dose distribution due to soil radioactivity concentration levels in 18 cities across Nigeria

Abstract

The natural radioactivity concentrations in soil samples collected from 186 locations across 18 cities in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria have been determined using gamma-ray spectrometry. Results show that the concentrations of (40)K, (238)U and (232)Th in the soil samples varied from below detection limits (BDL) to 1459.4 Bq kg(-1) with a mean of 73.3 +/- 18.5 Bq kg(-1) for (40)K, whereas for (238)U and (232)Th values varied from 9.2 to 113.7 Bq kg(-1) with a mean of 33.9 +/- 7.4 Bq kg(-1) and from BDL to 175.7 Bq kg(-1) with a mean of 12.4 +/- 3.1 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The average gamma absorbed dose rate in air across the cities ranged between 19 +/- 5 and 88 +/- 44 nGy h(-1) and the gross mean was 42.0 +/- 21.0 nGy h(-1). Using available population data in the study areas, about 2.84% of the population is exposed to a radiation dose rate of less than 20 nGy h(-1), 52.40% to a radiation dose rate between 20 and 30 nGy h(-1), 31% to a radiation dose rate between 30 and 60 nGy h(-1) and about 13.76% to dose rates greater than 60 nGy h(-1).

Radiological Impact of a Municipal Solid Waste Dumpsite on Soil and Groundwater Using 2-D Resistivity Tomography and Gamma Ray Spectroscopy

“…[20]. This is higher than the mean value of 29.3 nGy/hr reported by [21] in a dumpsite in Abeokuta, Nigeria, 20.04nGy/hr reported by [5] from a dumpsite in Port Harcourt, 19.96nGy/hr reported by [22] in eighteen cities across Nigeria, but lower than the mean value of 76.83nGy/hr reported by [19], in some selected dumpsites southwest Nigeria. The high values of activity concentration and absorbed dose rates reported by [19] were attributed to the basement rock exposures in the area contributing to the background radiation.…”

Measurement of some Radioactive Elements in Drinking Water in Arar City, Saudi Arabia

“…However, all the measured values are within the worldwide average concentrations of these natural radionuclides in drinking water as reported by the United Nations of Scientific Committee of the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) [1] and other studies [3,4,11]. The levels of radioactivity measured in wells are usually higher than in flowing or well waters because a significant proportion of the radioactivity transported by rivers into wells accumulates there [8].…”

“…The natural terrestrial gamma dose rate is an important contributor to the average dose received by the world's population [2,3]. Estimation of the radiation dose distribution is vital in assessing the health risk to a population and serves as a reference for documenting changes in environmental radioactivity due to anthropogenic activities [4]. Monitoring for radioactive materials is therefore of primary importance for humans, organisms and for environmental protection.…”

Assessment of external and internal doses due to farming in high background radiation areas in old tin mining localities in Jos-plateau, Nigeria

“…Potassium-40 was determined by measuring the 1.460 MeV γ-rays emitted during its decay. The detailed calibration of the detector can be found in our earlier publications (Obed et al, 2005;Jibiri and Bankole, 2006;Jibiri and Agomuo, 2007).…”