Measurement of Gamma Radiation in Automobile Mechanic Workshops in an Area of Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

Environmental radiation measurement was carried out in several automobile mechanic workshops within Ugbowo area of Benin-City, Edo State, Nigeria. A Digilert 50 Nuclear Radiation monitor was used to ascertain the level of radiation to which these workers are daily exposed. The study revealed that the average annual effective dose rate from these sites is approximately 0.40 mSv/yr which is lower than the value of 1.0 mSv/yr averaged over five consecutive years according to the dose limit placed by the Basic Safety Standards (BSS) SCHEDULE II and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) REPORT 60. However, the external background ionizing radiation exposure within the sites investigated varied between 0.1272 and 0.01411 mR/hr with an average of 0.01314 ± 0.000658 mR/hr in the locality which is relatively higher than the standard background radiation of 0.011 mR/hr recommended by the US Nuclear Radiation Commission. This level of background radiation seems to suggest that there is a possibility of the existence of radio nuclides within the area.