Abstract
The evaluation of gross alpha and beta activities in crude oil contaminated soil, sediment and water samples was conducted in ten oil polluted environment of Delta State using Gas-flow proportional counter. Samples were collected from the oil polluted environment in each oil field and samples were prepared and analyzed following standard procedures. The mean gross alpha and beta activities obtained are 331.4 ± 24.5 Bq kg-1 and 11,335 ± 112 Bq kg-1 respectively for soil, 259.2 ± 17.6 Bq kg-1 and 4508 ± 96 Bq kg-1 respectively for sediment, and 1.00 ± 0.09 Bq kg-1 and 20.3 ± 1.7 Bq kg-1 respectively for water. The estimated average values of the total annual effective dose equivalent (AEDET (α,β)), the total annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDET (α,β))), and the total excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCRT (α,β)) are 10.64 mSv y-1, 0.037 μSv y-1 and 0.037 μSv y-1 respectively. The gross alpha and beta activities values obtained in soil and sediment were relatively high compared to values reported in some parts of the country and other regions and countries of the world. The radiological risk parameters examined show that AEDET (α,β) and AGDET (α,β) are above recommended permissible limits while ELCRT (α,β) is within the recommended permissible limit. The overall results obtained in this study indicate that the environmental samples have been radiologically impaired due to the crude oil spillage. An appropriate remediation technique was therefore recommended to remediate the polluted soil, sediment, and water to their near original state.
Highlights
The radiological contamination of the human environment always results in the elevation of natural background ionizing radiation
The main objective of this study is to evaluate the gross alpha and beta activity concentration in soil, sediment and water in crude oil spilled environment and its natural remediation effect with passage of time on the gross alpha and beta radioactivity concentration in spilled/environment
The results of the analysis for gross alpha activity concentration in the soil, sediment and water samples are presented in Table 1, while Table 2 presents the corresponding gross beta activity
Summary
The radiological contamination of the human environment always results in the elevation of natural background ionizing radiation. The radiological hazards to man and the environment from radioactive contamination depend on the nature of the radioactive contaminants, the degree of contamination and the level of the spread of the contamination [1]. Human activities such as mining, milling and processing of uranium ores, and mineral sands, smelting of metalliferous ores, manufacture of fertilizers, drilling of oil and gas, transportation, processing and burning of fossil fuels have raised the concentration of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the environment [1] [2] [3] [4]. Alpha and beta radiations are less penetrating unlike γ-ray that has the highest penetrating power, but the effects of alpha and beta particles within the body either through inhalation or ingestion are far more detrimental because of their ionizing power [1]
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