Measurement of radon and heavy metal concentrations in groundwater around Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.: Radon and heavy metal in water

Abstract

This study investigated the concentrations of radon and some heavy metals in drinking water in Ota; an industrial hub of south-western Nigeria. RAD-7; an active electronic device produced by the Durridge Company in the USA was used for measurement of radon concentration and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer for heavy metals. Twenty (20) water samples were collected for this study. Radon concentration in the samples varied from 2.3 to 34.5 Bq L-1, with a mean of 7.7 Bq L-1. The committed annual effective doses due to the ingestion of radon varied from 0.017 to 0.252 mSv y-1 with a mean of 0.056 mSv y-1. It was observed that 15% of the samples have radon concentration above the 11.1 BqL-1; the action level recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The mean concentration of heavy metals in the water samples were 0.02, 0.014, 0.048, 0.010 and 0.003 mgL-1for Cd, Pb, Se, Cr and As, respectively. The concentrations of Pb, Se and As were higher than the WHO permissible limit. This study revealed high concentration of some heavy metals in water in the study areas which may have some delirious effects on the consumers.