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Assessment of Radioactivity Concentration in Soil and Plant Samples from Selected Mining Sites in Kaduna State, Nigeria |
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PP: 295-302 |
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doi:10.18576/jrna/100311
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Author(s) |
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J. Mikailu,
M. M. Idris,
A. A. Mundi,
M. A. Sidi,
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Abstract |
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| This study is aimed at determining the radioactivity concentration in soil and plant samples from selected mining sites in the Jema’a area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. A total of fifteen samples of soil and fifteen samples of plants were collected from the selected mining sites and were subjected to Gamma Spectroscopy analysis using NaI(Ti) detector. The activity of 238U, 232Th and 40K for soil ranged from 11.73 ± 2.3 Bq/kg to 1194.8 ± 35.4 Bq/kg with mean value of 84.908 ± 17.2 Bq/kg, 0.53 ± 0.04 Bq/kg to 38.77 ± 2.9 Bq/kg with mean value of 20.255 ± 1.5 Bq/kg, 188.85 ± 11.0 Bq/kg to 5093.31 ± 292.6 Bq/kg with mean value of 2985.31 ± 175.9 Bq/kg respectively. The activity of 238U, 232Th and 40K for plant ranged from 4.30 ± 1.0 Bq/kg to 76.99 ± 17.1 Bq/kg with mean value of 31.429 ± 7.0 Bq/kg, 0.44 ± 0.03 Bq/kg to 11.46 ± 0.9 Bq/kg with mean value of 5.125 ± 0.3 Bq/kg, 27.86 ± 1.7 Bq/kg to 1021.39 ± 73.0 Bq/kg with mean value of 406.143 ± 26.4 Bq/kg respectively. The mean transfer factors for 238U, 232Th, and 40K are 0.922379, 0.55846, and 0.290847, respectively. These indicate the potential for radionuclide uptake by plants, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and risk assessment to ensure environmental and public health safety. The mean absorbed dose rate, radium equivalent activity, external hazard indices, annual effective dose equivalent, excess life cancer risk, and annual gonadal dose equivalent are 175.9307 nGy/h, 343.6983 Bq/kg, 0.928216 mSv/y, 0.215761 mSv/y, 0.604671, and 1284.293, respectively. These indicate that the hazards associated with natural radionuclides in the selected mining areas are lower than the worldwide average and UNSCEAR recommended limits, except for absorbed dose rate and excess life cancer risk, which are higher than the worldwide average and UNSCEAR recommended limits. The AEDE calculated values are lower than the ICRP recommended limit for public exposure. It is therefore concluded that the mining activities in the selected mining sites in Kaduna State revealed alarming levels of radioactivity at certain mining sites, characterized by elevated activity concentrations of adsorbed dose rate and excess lifetime cancer risk. These areas require immediate regulatory intervention to mitigate potential radiological hazards to the public. The radiation levels detected pose a significant threat to human health and the environment, necessitating prompt action. |
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