Abstract
This study is aimed at assessment of gross alpha, gross beta radioactivity and heavy metals concentration in soil samples. It involves ten (10) different locations in Wukari, Taraba state. The analyses included gross alpha and beta radioactivity using MPC-2000-DP and the measurement of heavy metals concentration using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The results obtained showed that the gross alpha activities ranged from (0.0027±0.0003- 0.0177±0.0001) Bq/g while the gross beta ranged from (0.0125±0.0020-0.2379±0.0012) Bq/g .The present study indicates that the nature of soil in the study area has a very low level radiation. Measured values of gross alpha contamination in soil samples collected from different locations in the study area were found below the permissible range of WHO. The total heavy metals Cu, Pb, Zn, Co,Fe were evaluated in the soil samples. Based on the findings concentrations of these soils were analyzed showed significantly higher concentrations which follow the order Pb˃Fe˃Cu˃Co˃Zn, comparing with WHO standards guidelines, the results revealed that food samples planted on this soil could be disastrous to human health
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