Radiological Risk Assessment of Radon Inhalation in Offices of Selected Institutions in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

The deleterious health implication of human exposure to radon gas has attracted considerable research attention worldwide. Thus, with the increase in number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria whose population predominantly comprises the youth and adults in their productive years. This study hereby estimates the radiological risk associated with radon inhalation induced by the geological of selected tertiary institutions in Southwestern Nigeria. The radon concentration was assessed with Electret Passive Environmental Radon Monitor (E-PERM). The lithology and age of the buildings were also considered for probable effect on the radon concentration. The value of the radon concentration ranged between 2.60 to 219.57 Bqm-3. The lithology feature on which each building was constructed as well as the age of the building was also found to influence the indoor radon concentration. The radiological indices of the rooms ranged from 0.018 to 1.518 mSvy-1 for annual effective dose (AED), 0.004 to 0.335 WLMy-1 for annual exposure (AE), and 1.98 x 10-6 to 1.67 x 10-4 MPY-1 for excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR). Hence, there is need for continuous education of the people to take adequate preventive measures in mitigating indoor radon level.