Abstract: Assessment of environmental radiation exposure potentials is a source of concern to nuclear scientist and policy makers as this could pose serious health threat to residence were radioactivity level exceeds the recommended value. This necessitates the need for survey of radionuclide level and exposure hazard parameters in all inhabitants to ascertain the risk to dwellers. In the present study, six soil samples were collected from playgrounds in six different schools in Zungeru township and analysed using gamma spectroscopy for radionuclide’s specific activity for Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40, from which radon equivalent, Annual Effective Dose Equivalent, Radon, External and Internal Hazard were calculated to determine the ionizing radiation exposure risk potentials. The mean measured specific activity and calculated exposure parameters were found to be 44.65±2.83 Bqkg-1(Ra-226), 13.07±2.35 Bqkg-1 (Th-232), 227.18±13.95 Bqkg-1(K-40), 73.626 nGy/h, 0.36118 mSv/y, 78.176 Bqkg-1, 0.218 and 0.223 respectively. The results obtained for both the radionuclide specific activity and the exposure hazard parameters compared well with similar analysis conducted in 19 other countries and the world average. In addition the calculated exposure hazard parameters are all within safe acceptable limit for public. However, there is need to extend the conducted assessment of Naturally Occurring Radioactive materials (NORMs) to other environmental samples to attain a more general conclusion. These findings will serve a preliminary baseline data for radionuclide activity concentration in Zungeru.
Keywords: NORMS, Gamma spectroscopy, Specific activity, Exposure hazard parameters.
Title: Assessment of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMS) in Soils from Selected School Playgrounds in Zungeru
Author: Salihu Mohammed, Musa L. Bosso, Bala Suleiman, Aminu B. Usman
International Journal of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-5736 (Online)
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