Abstract
The activity concentrations of radionuclides, absorbed dose rate, excess lifetime cancer risk, and soil-to-plant transfer factor have been evaluated in soil and crop samples from Jalingo and Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria. The activity concentrations were determined with the aid of High Purity Germanium detector. The absorbed dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were evaluated and forecasted for 60 years using the ResRad off-site model. The average activity concentration of 40K, 232Th, and 238U in the soil samples were 633.13, 141.15, and 71.20 Bq·kg-1 respectively, for the Jalingo study area, and while that of the Wukari study area was; 199.21, 87.23, and 25.37 Bq·kg-1 respectively. The average soil-to-plant transfer factors for 40K, 232Th, and 238U were 0.51, 0.10, and 0.27 respectively for the Jalingo study area while that of Wukari are 0.40, 0.57, and 0.74 respectively. The mean annual effective dose equivalent for the study area is higher than the world average of 0.07 mS·vy-1. The excess lifetime cancer risk for the study areas has values that are higher than the safety limit. The ResRed model showed that direct radiation from the crops is the major contributor to excess cancer risk among other pathways. The radiological hazard indices reveal health risks to farmers, especially in the Jalingo area.
Highlights
To assess the internal doses to humans from ingestion of radionuclides present in agricultural products, it is important to know the main processes which determine the uptake of radionuclides by plants in the environment
The activity concentrations of radionuclides, absorbed dose rate, excess lifetime cancer risk, and soil-to-plant transfer factor have been evaluated in soil and crop samples from Jalingo and Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria
This study aims to investigate the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in locally grown food crops in Jalingo and Wukari Local Government areas of Taraba state
Summary
To assess the internal doses to humans from ingestion of radionuclides present in agricultural products, it is important to know the main processes which determine the uptake of radionuclides by plants in the environment. Contamination of food by radionuclides may occur either by direct deposition of these radionuclides on the leaves of crops, stems, tubers, fruits, and roots or by absorption of radionuclides by plants (crop) from the soil Transfer of these radionuclides from the contaminated region (soil, water, and air) is of great concern due to its long-term effect on humans and the environment. This study aims to investigate the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in locally grown food crops (yam, cassava, beans, and maize) in Jalingo and Wukari Local Government areas of Taraba state. These communities are the major agrarian communities of the state. The data got can be useful for the estimation of the internal radiation dose originating from the farmlands and the environment
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