Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: December | Volume: 11 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 65-69
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20211210
Outdoor Background Radiation Levels in Mining Locations and Major Activity Areas of Ebonyi State, South-Eastern, Nigeria and Their Radiological Impacts
Sunday Elijah Igwe1, Hyacienth Uche Chiegwu1, Christopher Chukwuemeka Ohagwu1, Michael Promise Ogolodom1
1Department of Medical Radiography and Radiological Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Corresponding Author: Michael Promise Ogolodom
ABSTRACT
Background: Miners and the people living close to mining sites are exposed to elevated levels of ionizing radiation with or without their knowledge. This study was designed to evaluate the outdoor background radiation levels in some selected mining locations and major activity areas of Ebonyi State, South-Eastern, Nigeria and their radiological impacts.
Materials and Methods: The levels of background radiation in these mining areas were estimated using a well calibrated International Medicom CRM-100 Digital Radiation Monitor (survey meter). A cross-sectional survey was adopted for this study. Based on standard method, the radiation monitor was held at a distance of 1.0 meters above the ground and three readings taken at each location and the mean recorded. The radiation dose rates were calculated. A descriptive statistic and inferential statistic were used to summarize the data using statistical package for social Sciences SPSS version 21.
Results: The mean dose rate for all the mining locations studied is 0.269+0.039(µSv/hr) and OAEDR of 0.470+0.068(mSv/yr). The excess life cancer risk for adult and children are 1.645 x 10-3 and 1.175 x 10-3 in the mining areas respectively. The mean outdoor Annual Equivalent Dose Rate (OAEDR) for the mining locations of Ebonyi States was 0.470±0.068 and mean of the radiation dose values recommended by UNSCEAR (2008) was 2.4± 0.48. There was statistically significance mean difference between the mean of OAEDR and the UNCEAR recommended value (p = 0.001).
Conclusion: the outdoor background radiation levels emitted from the study area are within permissible limits for the general population. Therefore there is little risk of instantaneous radiation hazard within the mining areas of Ebonyi State.
Key words: Absorb dose, excess life Cancer risk, radiation hazard.