Assessment of the radiological health risk from radionuclide presence and transfer factor from soil to corn in some selected non-oil producing riverine areas of Akwa Ibom state

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to estimate the activity concentration (AC) of 238U, 232Th and 40K, assess the health risk information from radionuclides presence in the soil and corn and the transfer influence from soil to corn. The key device used for the analysis was a Sodium Iodide Thallium detector. 238U AC in soil ranges from 14.09±0.27 Bqkg-1 to 18.70±0.31 Bqkg-1 with mean value of 15.69±0.28 Bqkg-1; 238U AC in corn varies from 9.36±0.22 Bqkg-1 to 14.78±0.27 Bqkg-1 with mean value of 11.53±0.24 Bqkg-1. 232Th AC in soil is from 12.32±0.46 Bqkg-1 to 48.76±0.91 Bqkg-1 with mean value of 35.97±0.76 Bqkg-1. 232Th AC in corn ranges from 8.26±0.37 Bqkg-1 to 35.19±0.77 Bqkg-1 with average value of 17.86±0.53 Bqkg-1. 40K values from the soil samples varies from 313.61±6.81 Bqkg-1 to 472.63±8.36 Bqkg-1 with mean value of 384.672±7.52 Bqkg-1. 40K varies from 374.85±7.45 Bqkg-1 to 478.55±8.41 Bqkg-1 with average value of 425.51±7.93 Bqkg-1from corn samples. The mean transfer factor for 238U, 232Th and 40K was obtained as 0.73, 0.62 and 1.13 respectively. The mean values for the Radium equivalent, absorbed dose, annual effective dose, and excess lifetime cancer risk from soil are 96.75 Bqkg-1, 47.05 nGyh-1, 0.06 mSvy-1, 0.20×10-3 correspondingly [values from corn are 69.83 Bqkg-1, 35.04 nGyh-1, 0.04 mSvy-1, 0.15×10-3 respectively]. These values clearly showed, the radiation doses exposed to Akwa Ibomites through the consumption of corn cultivated in these areas and inhalation of soil poses no effect to their health. Therefore, there is no radiological risk of ingestion.