Radiological Hazards Assessment of 226Ra, 228Ra, 228Th, 232Th, 238U and 40K in Nigeria

SAMAILA B

Published on: 2023-01-13

Abstract

Populations are always exposed during their lives time to ionizing radiation arising outside and within the environment. These exposures occur from man-made and natural sources such as radioactive elements present in our environment (i.e. Radium, Uranium, Thorium, & Potassium e.t.c). People are externally and internally exposed to these radioactive elements through soils, water, food, air and cosmic rays entering from outer space to earth's atmosphere. The radiation dose received by human beings due to natural radioactivity account for 87%, In this regard, a number of articles have been appeared in National and international research journals, which have been reviewed and compiled in this paper. Most of these articles are about the estimation and measurement of activity concentrations and radiological hazard (such as Annual Effective Dose, Equivalent dose rate and Hazard Indices) of 226Ra, 228Ra, 228Th, 232Th, 238U, 40K. Therefore, it is essential to check and monitor the radiation emitted by the above radioactive elements in order to control possible health effects. Based on this review most of the activity concentrations and radiological hazard indices of the investigated samples from different part of this country were found to be higher than the world average levels with exception of few regions, which was little bit below world average levels. Hence, the dwellers of the regions are at the greater chance of developing cancer, leukemia, eye cataracts, Epithelia, hematological depression and incidence of chromosome aberrations. But these may not appear until many years after the radiation dose is received (usually 10-40 years), then the symptoms appeared. This radiation dose effect also affects plants and animals detrimentally.