Blessing Okeoghene Ijabor; Akintayo Daniel Omojola; Augustine Onyema Nwabuoku; Funmilayo Ruth Omojola
Abstract
The study is aimed at measuring the outdoor background ionizing radiation (BIR), the absorbed dose rate (ADR), the annual effective dose (AED) and excessive lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) at four sites in the Aniocha South local government area (LGA) of Delta State, denoted as A-D. The study was performed ...
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The study is aimed at measuring the outdoor background ionizing radiation (BIR), the absorbed dose rate (ADR), the annual effective dose (AED) and excessive lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) at four sites in the Aniocha South local government area (LGA) of Delta State, denoted as A-D. The study was performed using a calibrated Geiger-Muller (GM) detector (Radiation Alert Inspector) as well as a geographic positioning system (GPS) to determine the longitude and latitude of each site. The average (range) outdoor BIR, ADR, and AED were 0.021±0.01 (0.01-0.04) mR/hr, 181.6±77.7 (60.9-322.8) nGy/hr, and 0.22±0.10 (0.07-0.40) mSv/yr, respectively. Among the processing sites, the average AED for granite, bitumen, and staff residential areas were 0.31, 0.12, and 0.17 mSv/yr, while surface measurements at the "burnt stone" had the highest AED (0.41 mSv/yr). ADR and AED were both considerably higher than the world average of 59 nGy/hr and 0.07 mSv/yr. The average effective lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) (0.77×10-3) was higher compared to the world average of (0.25×10-3), with the highest in the granites. The ELCR risk band indicated a concern for increased cancer risk. Educating the public about actions to reduce their exposure to environmental carcinogens is necessary.
Reza Pourimani; Mobin Bajelan; Monire Mohebian
Abstract
The specific activity of radionuclides in the soil of the Borujerd region using high purity Germanium detector (HPGe) was measured and the associated radiological hazards were calculated. The mean specific activity of radionuclides of Ra-226, Th-232, K-40, and Cs-137 in soil was obtained at 10.99±5.11, ...
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The specific activity of radionuclides in the soil of the Borujerd region using high purity Germanium detector (HPGe) was measured and the associated radiological hazards were calculated. The mean specific activity of radionuclides of Ra-226, Th-232, K-40, and Cs-137 in soil was obtained at 10.99±5.11, 35.36±4.44, 324.20±10.24, and 2.93±0.60 Bq.kg-1. These values were below the global average. Also, the value of basic radiological risk parameters, such as Raeq, AEDout, AEDint, Hex, Hin, and Iγ, ranged from 52.02 to 139.54 in Bq.kg-1, from 24.98 to 68.27 and from 42.90 to 117.22 in mSv.y-1, 122.57 to 334.93, 0.14 to 0.37, 0.16 to 0.40, and 0.27 to 1.04, respectively. The range of excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) value for the surrounding soil samples varied from 0.15×10-3 to 0.41×10-3, in which samples S4, S14, S24, S27, S28, S29, and S30 exceeded the global average of 0.29×10-3. A radiological map of the city of Borujerd was prepared using the GIS program. The study showed that the level of radioactivity in the Borujerd area did not exceed the critical value and is in line with the global results.
