Transfer factor of radionuclides from soil to cereal crops around gold mining and evaluation of corresponding radiological hazard levels Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Radionuclide distribution and transfer factors in plants are decisive parameters used to evaluate radioactive contamination in the environment and its radiological health risks to humans. In this study, the activities concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were measured using NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectrometry on soils and on corresponding teff and wheat plant samples analyzed collected from Sakaro gold mining area from Reji kebele, Oromia, Ethiopia. The results of mean activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K samples analyzedzed in soil, teff, and wheat samples were found to be 33.05 ± 0.72, 13.7 ± 0.51 and 220.18 ± 0.61 Bq.kg-1, 3.93 ± 0.4,27 ± 0.61 and 148.3 ± 0.5 Bq.kg-1 and 3.22 ± 0.43, 4.59 ± 0.64 and 229.8 ± 0.5 Bq.kg-1 respectively. Results showed that the activity concentration of radionuclides in this study area was within the limit. The transfer factors from soil to cereal crops (teff and wheat) were compared with the study done in a different country of the world and its values were below unity except for 40K in wheat samples. The absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose rate, external and internal hazards index, lifetime cancer risk, and annual effective ingestion dose were estimated and were also compared with the internationally accepted values. It was found that none of the results exceeded the recommended limit value.