HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF RADIATION HAZARDS FROM SOIL IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF MAIGANGA MINING SITE IN GOMBE STATE OF NIGERIA
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Abstract
Soil is a major source of natural radioactivity, radiation hazard for the population and it is the source of migration and transfer of radionuclide into the environment. This study used secondary data obtained by the collection of soil sample from Maiganga town using radon-impermeable cylindrical plastic containers. A total number of ten soil samples were collected at various location within the study area in Akko local government area of Gombe and radiation health hazard indices was evaluated by employing grammar-ray spectroscopy using a NaI (TI) detector. The obtained results showed that the mean values of 40-K concentrations in soil samples were lower than the range of the world average 370 Bq/kg. The activity concentrations of 226-Ra ranged from 139.94±6.4 to 65.87±3.2Bq/kg, with a mean value of 17.54±4.3Bq/kg the activity concentrations of 232-Th ranged from 95.42±4.3 to 24.10±1.4 Bq/kg with a mean value of17.00±2.8 Bq/kg. The activity concentration of Radium was found to be higher than the permitted limit of 30 Bq/kg. Also the average value of radium equivalent was found to be 197.74 Bq/kg while the average value of absorbed dose was 88.69 nGy/h. The average value of effective dose was also found to be 108.40 μSv/y. The results showed that the radionuclide activity found in the surveyed area was very higher and therefore pose a potential health hazard to the humans as well as plants in the study area
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