Abstract
Activity concentrations of twenty-six (26) samples of sediment collected from rivers from eleven (11) oil-producing communities and two (2) non-oil producing communities in Delta state of Nigeria were studied. Hyper Purity Germanium (HPGe) Detector was used for counting and detection of radionuclide content of all samples. Results of the samples analysed showed that the radioactivity concentrations of K40, Th232 and U238 in the sediment samples from oil-producing areas range from 32.47 Bq·kg-1 to 525.1 Bq·kg-1 with an average of 302.15 Bq·kg-1, 6.31 Bq·kg-1 to 19.33 Bq·kg-1 with an average of 11.66 Bq·kg-1, and 4.45 Bq·kg-1 to 18.69 Bq·kg-1 with an average of 8.66 Bq·kg-1 respectively. Activity concentrations at the control site ranged from 3.15 Bq·kg-1 to 4.80 Bq·kg-1, 2.27 Bq·kg-1 to 4.18 Bq·kg-1 and 1.15 Bq·kg-1 to 1.76 Bq·kg-1 for K40, Th232 and U238. These values are within the world average; natural radioactivity mapping of the study area is carried out using the Surfer software. Statistical analysis of the results showed that there is a significant difference between the radionuclide concentrations of the sediment samples from rivers in the oil producing site compared to results from non-oil producing communities, except for one of the oil producing site samples (Idumuesah) which has values that are close to those from the control sites for K40. The values of the radiological assessment indices obtained were observed to be within the permissible maximum values; hence the radiation hazard at study areas are negligible. However, concentration values of studied radionuclide at the oil-producing study areas were observed to be higher than values from the non-oil producing sites in most cases. It could therefore be reported that the operations of the oil companies in Delta state of Nigeria may have contributed to the high radioactivity level of the river sediments. Although the concentration at the time of this study poses no risk, further industrial activities in the study area may raise the activity concentration and radiological burden in the future.
Highlights
Human bodies contain naturally occurring radioactive elements as man has always been exposed to natural radiation arising from the earth as well as from outside the earth
The activities of natural radionuclides K40, Th232 and U238 in sediment have been analysed in the oil producing communities of Delta states
The natural radioactivity concentrations of a total of twenty-six (26) samples of sediment collected from rivers from eleven (11) oil-producing communities and two communities with no oil and gas industry in Delta state of Nigeria have been determined
Summary
Human bodies (muscles, bones, and tissue) contain naturally occurring radioactive elements as man has always been exposed to natural radiation arising from the earth as well as from outside the earth (cosmic rays). The contribution from these components varies with location and altitude [1]. Enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) are produced when radionuclides that occur naturally in ores, soils, water, or other natural materials are concentrated or exposed to the environment by Industrial activities. Presence of radioactivity in contaminated environment can be attributed to naturally occurring and artificially induced sources. Studies on the high background radiation areas in the world have been of prime importance for risk estimation due to long term low-level whole body exposures to the public
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