Assessment of the Background Radiation of Telecommunication Masts in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

In this study, the background radiation of ten selected mobile phone base stations was monitored to ascertain their radiological risk. The requirement to monitor them is because they are established contributors to background radiation. There is, therefore, often a requirement to monitor them to ascertain if their radiation levels have passed the safety standards. The study was carried out using the Radalert 100 radiation monitor and a Geographical Positioning System (Garmin GPSMAP 765). The mean background radiation exposure rate ranges from 0.0133mRhr-1to 0.0200mRhr-1. The obtained values are higher than the world standard limit of 0.013mRhr-1 recommended by ICRP. The calculated absorbed dose rates for the various base stations ranged from 115.71 nGyh-1 to 174.00 nGyh-1. These values of absorbed dose rates were observed to be far higher than the world permissible value of 89 nGyh-1. The annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) for the exposure values ranged from 0.142 mSvy-1 to 0.213 mSvy-1 which are far lower than the ICRP permissible limits of 1.00 mSvlyr for the public and implies that the base stations do not pose any immediate radiological risks. The excess lifetime cancer risk for the stations’ users was all above the 0.29 × 10-3 world recommended value and therefore, suggests a possibility of the base station workers developing radiation-related illnesses over a longer time. Regular radiological monitoring of all the base stations in Ebonyi State is recommended.