Abstract
Hyper Pure Germanium (HPGe) radiation detector was used to estimate the activity concentration of fifteen soil and palm oil samples collected from the oil palm plantations in the southwestern, southeastern, and south southern states of Nigeria, and the risk assessments was evaluated. The activity concentrations at a soil depth 0 – 15 cm ranged from 187.4 to 514.4, 2.328 to 6.571, and 1.509 to 6.121 Bq/kg for 40K, 238U, and 232Th, respectively. The activity concentrations at a soil depth 15 – 30 cm ranged from 163.4 to 3188.8, 1.345 to 9.410, and 1.476 to 6.275 Bq/kg for 40K, 238U, and 232Th, respectively. The activity concentrations in the palm oil ranged from 122.3 to 968.0, 1.240 to 6.651, and 1.199 to 8.061 Bq/L for 40K, 238U, and 232Th. For the risk assessments of surface soil samples, the absorbed dose rate (D) ranged from 5.09 to 24.54 nGy/h, while the annual effective dose equivalent (E) ranged from 0.612 × 10-2 to 16.49 × 10-2 mSv/y. The radium equivalent, gamma absorbed dose rate, and the annual effective dose rate in the palm oil samples ranged from 9.981 to 88.00 Bq/L, 4.315 to 46.29 nGy/h, and 0.53 × 10-2 to 56.90 x 10-2 mSv/y, respectively. The activity concentrations reported for soil and palm oil samples were lower than the recommended world average values given by UNSCEAR. Hence, the hazard and risk assessments indicated a low radiation risk within the studied areas.
Highlights
The palm oil plantation is one of the cash producing crops in the south western, south eastern and south southern states of Nigeria supplying palm oil and palm kernel products for local farmers, chemical and allied industries
This study aims to investigate the concentrations of radionuclides in red palm oil pressed from oil palm fruits cultivated on anthropogenically contaminated oil palm plantation soils and evaluates the associated risk it posed
The radionuclides of interest are the naturally occurring radionuclides 40K; 238U and 232Th in palm oil pressed from oil palm fruits grown on fifteen independent oil palm plantations soils that may have been polluted anthropogenically by human made activities. as a baseline or monitoring evaluation to ascertain they do not exceed the permissible levels in the environment
Summary
The palm oil plantation is one of the cash producing crops in the south western, south eastern and south southern states of Nigeria supplying palm oil and palm kernel products for local farmers, chemical and allied industries. Vegetable oils or vegetable fats can be referred to as fats extracted from seeds or other parts of the fruit They are similar to animal fats because they contain a mixture of triglycerides, saturated acids, palmitic acids and polysaturated acids. Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that is reddish in color. It is extracted from the fleshy mesocarp of the fruit of the oil palm tree, which is indigenous to Africa and Asia. The red orange color of the oil is derived from its high content of beta-carotene content.
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