Abstract
A radiological survey was carried out over Jimeta area of metropolitan Yola, Adamawa State, using a portable radiation alert monitor 4 of S. E. International, Inc. USA. The study showed that a mean whole body dose equivalent rate of 0.83 ± 0.11 mSv/y and mean absorbed dose rate of 1.19 ± 0.17 mGy/y resulted from total environmental radiation in Jimeta. Allowing for a cosmic radiation of 0.28 mGy/y the mean absorbed dose due to the environmental radioactivity is therefore 0.91 mGy/y. These values are lower than the 1 mSv/y recommended to the average individual member of the public by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Hence residents of Jimeta are not unduly exposed to health risk due to environmental radiation exposure.
Highlights
Man’s environment has two sources of ionizing radiation, natural and manmade
The mean values of the exposure rate were converted to the absorbed dose rate by multiplying with 76 and a further multiplication with 0.7 resulted in the whole body equivalent dose rate (NCRP, 1987)
The comparison of these results with values obtained in 2006 survey as shows that the mean values absorbed dose rate, exposure rate and the wholebody equivalent dose rate has increased from 1.1852 to 1.1973 mGy/y ; 0.0156 to 0.0158 mR/h ; 0.8296 to 0.8381 mSv/y respectively since 1999 Mean maximum temperature, 380C; mean relative humidity 46% and mean average wind speed 5.1 km/hr
Summary
Man’s environment has two sources of ionizing radiation, natural and manmade. The natural radiation exposure arises mainly from the radioactive decay process of primordial radioactive elements and their decay products in the geological environment, and the presence of high energy gamma rays from the sun and outer space (cosmic rays). The level of the environmental radioactivity depends on the amount and distribution of the natural radionuclides such as 238U, 232Th and 40K in that environment, the altitude and latitude of the location and the spacing of nuclear process industries ( NCRP, 1987 ). This poses problems such as detecting areas of high environmental radioactivity levels in the country, studies of radiation related illness in such areas and control of industrial radioactive activities in the country.
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