Speaker
Description
tigation of Exposure Level and Radioactivity Content in Bitumen Environment Agbabu, Ondo State of Nigeria
Olalekan Olatunji*1 Pascal Tchokossa2 and Olaniran J. Matthew3
1Department of Science Laboratory Technology, the Federal Polytechnic Ile-Oluji.
2Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
3Institute of Ecology and Environmental Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
- Corresponding author: Emai: olaolatunji@fedpolel.edu.ng , +2347036912264
Abstract
The exposure level and the radioactivity content was investigated in various soil in bituminous environment Agbabu, Ondo state of Nigeria using an advanced survey Gamma scout and a well calibrated sodium iodide NaI(Tl) detector. The result of the exposure rate ranges from 0.11 – 0.18 µSv yr-1. Also a total of twenty-two sampling areas of 1 m2 each were randomly mapped out in an undisturbed plot of land of total size 2500 m2 within the bituminous site. In each sampling square, five core soil samples were taken (four from all corners and one from the centre) to the depth of 0-30 cm and all the soil samples were oven dried at a room temperature of 105oC, crushed, sieved and sealed for one month before analysis. The specific activity of 238U ranged from 4.25 ± 2.14 to 23.63 ± 9.37 Bq kg-1 with an average of 15.66 ± 4.34 Bq kg-1, 232Th from 2.86 ± 1.05 to 19.92 ± 5.24 Bq kg-1 with an average of 13.31 ± 4.37 Bq kg-1; 40K ranged from 20.49 ± 7.39 to 111.75 ± 37.98 Bq kg-1 with an average of 63.47 ± 28.10 Bq kg-1 . These values were within the international acceptable limit. A weak correlation (r =0.07, at p = 0.05) was established among the radionuclides. Results indicated a slight variation between the in situ and laboratory Measurements due to some factors such as various anthropogenic activities in the environment, different in sampling techniques and soil moisture.
Keyword: radionuclides, exposure rate, Gamma scout, environmental impact
