Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T10:42:22.740Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Gamma radioactivity levels and their corresponding externalexposure of soil samples from tantalite mining areas in Oke-Ogun, South-WesternNigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2012

A.K. Ademola  and
R.I. Obed
A.K. Ademola
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Sciences, Bells University of Technology, Ota Nigeria
R.I. Obed
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Get access

Abstract

The radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40Kwere measured using gamma-ray spectroscopy with NaI (Tl) detectors in four tantalitemining sites in the Oke-Ogun area, South-Western Nigeria. The measured values of theactivities of 40K, 226Ra and 232Th in the soil sampleswere found to lie in the ranges 123.7 ± 3.8 – 1372.3 ± 8.6, 16.8 ± 1.6 – 71.1 ± 2.53 and3.0 ± 0.7 – 31.9 ± 1.0 Bq kg–1, respectively. These samples were also found to have radiumequivalent activity in the range 74.2–121.0 Bq kg-1. Values of 0.2–0.3 for the externaland 0.3–0.4 for the internal hazard indices were estimated for the samples and the annualeffective dose varied from 70.3 ± 13.5 to 100.8 ± 42.8 µSv with a mean of 87.5 ± 18.6 µSvy–1. The annual effective dose is higher than the world average.

Keywords

Oke-Ogunradionuclidetantalitenatural radioactivityeffective dose
Type
Research Article
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 47 , Issue 2 , April 2012 , pp. 243 - 252
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ademola, J.A., Farai, I.P. (2006) Gamma activity and radiation dose in concrete building blocks used for construction of dwellings in Jos, Nigeria. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 121, 395-405.Google ScholarPubMed
Ademola, J.A., Ademonehin, S. (2010) Radioactivity concentrations and dose assessment for bitumen and soil samples around bituminous deposit in Ondo state, Nigeria. Radioprotection 45, 359-368.Google Scholar
Al-Saleh, F.S., Al-Berzan, B. (2007) Measurements of natural radioactivity in some kinds of marble and granite used in Riyadh region. J. Nucl. Radiat. Phys. 2, 25-36.Google Scholar
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (2003) Accreditation of laboratories for measurement of radionuclide content in commodities (Mumbai, India: Atomic Energy Regulatory Board).
Beretka, J., Mathew, P.J. (1985) Natural radioactivity in Australian building materials, industrial waste and by-product. Health Phys. 48, 87-95.Google Scholar
European Commission (1999) Report on Radiological Protection Principles Concerning the Natural Radioactivity of Building Materials. Directorate-General Environment, Nuclear safety and civil protection. Radiation Protection 112, 1-16.
EML Procedure Manual (1983) Volchok, Herbert L., de Planque, Gail (Eds.), twentysixth ed. New York, US Department of Energy, Environmental Measurement Laboratory.
Farai, I.P., Obed, R.I., Jibiri, N.N. (2006) Soil radioactivity and incidence of cancer in Nigeria. J. Environ. Radioactiv. 90, 29-36.Google ScholarPubMed
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, 1996) Radiation Safety. Regulation for the safe transport of radioactive material. IAEA Division of Public Information, 96-00725 IAEA/PI/A47E.
Jibiri, N.N., Farai, I.P. (1998) Assessment of dose rate and collective effective dose equivalent due to terrestrial gamma radiation in the city of Lagos, Nigeria; Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 76, 191-194.Google Scholar
Jibiri, N.N., Esen, N.U. (2011) Radionuclide contents and radiological risk to the population due to raw materials and soil samples from the mining sites of quality ceramic and pottery industries in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, Radioprotection 46, 75-87.Google Scholar
Obed, R.I., Farai, I.P., Jibiri, N.N. (2005) Population dose distribution due to soil radioactivity concentration levels in 18 cities across in Nigeria. J. Radiol. Prot. 25, 305-312.Google ScholarPubMed
Olomo, J.B., Akinloye, M.K., Balogun, F.A. (1994) Distribution of gamma-emitting natural radionuclide in soil and water around nuclear research establishment, Ile-Ife Nigeria. Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A 353, 553-557.Google Scholar
Oresegun, M.O., Babalola, I.A. (1990) Occupational radiation exposure associated with milling of Th-U rich soils in Nigeria. Health Phys. 58, 213-215.Google Scholar
Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation. Report of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation to the General Assembly. United Nations, New York.
Straden, E. (1979). Radioactivity of building materials and the gamma radiation in dwellings. Phys. Med. Biol. 24, 921-930.Google Scholar
Taskin, H., Karavus, M., Ayb, B., Topuzoglu, A., Hidiroglu, S., Karahan, G. (2009) Radionuclide concentrations in soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in Kirklareli, Turkey, J. Environ. Radioactiv. 100, 49-53.Google ScholarPubMed
Tijani, M.N., Abimbola, A.F. (2003) Groundwater chemistry and isotopes studies of weathered basement aquifer: a case study of Oke-Ogun area, S.W. Nigeria. Afr. Geosci. Rev. 10, 373-387.Google Scholar
United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR, 1982) Ionizing radiation: sources and biological effects (New York: United Nations) E.82.IX.8.
United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR, 2000).