Radiological Risk Exposure to the Residential Area Adjacent to Liquor Company in Ado-Odo Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background radiation levels and radionuclides assessment was conducted around the residential area adjacent to the Intercontinental Distillers (Liquor) Company located in Ado-Odo Ota, Ogun state using Gamma Ray Semi-mobile Spectrometer (Super Spec RS-125 Radiation detector). This study was carried out to determine the background gamma dose rate and the associated radiological risk exposure to the public living around the study area. The activity concentrations vary from 2.47 to 25.935 Bq/Kg, 28.826 to 62.52 Bq/Kg, 4.0 to 250.4 Bq/Kg for 238U, 40K and 232Th respectively. The activity concentration of the radionuclides (238-U, 40-K, 232-Th) field data was used to determine the radiological parameters. All the radionuclide activity concentrations found in the study/research area were below the International Reference Standard (IRS) except for Thorium, which surpassed the IRS. The estimated values ranged from 57.27 to 125.98 Bq/kg, 0.15 to 0.34 Bq/kg and 0.19 to 0.38 Bq/kg for radium equivalent, external hazard and internal hazard respectively. The numerically measured values of gamma dosage rates ranged from 26.4 to 59.0 nGy/h. This highest value was 59 nGy/h, which is higher than the 54 nGy/h safe level suggested by the United Nations Scientific Effect of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The research area’s hot spots that potentially endanger the health of nearby residents if proper precautions are not taken have been identified using a geospatial assessment of the background gamma radiation rate.