Determination of the Radioactive Nature of the Sediments of the Bays of the Ebrié Lagoon of Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Abstract

In Ivory Coast, the lagoons represent the transit point for the majority of continental inputs. They are thus increasingly vulnerable and their ecological balance is rapidly modified under the influence of certain natural or anthropogenic factors. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of presence of lead 210 in sediments. The sediments were sampled during the campaigns of the National Water Quality Observation Network on the bays spread over thirteen study sites. Analysis by alpha spectrometry was carried out in three stages (mineralization with concentrated acids, self-deposition on a silver disk, counting in an alpha detector with a silicone surface barrier). The highest lead-210 activities were obtained in the bays of Koumassi 1 (228.57 ± 12.21 Bq/kg) and Marcory (198.91 ± 9.46 Bq/kg). However, no seasonal variation in lead-210 contamination of sediments in the bays of Abidjan was observed. We wish to extend this study to other aquatic matrices.