Original Research Article
Year: 2016 | Month: April-June | Volume: 1 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 15-22
Evaluation of Radionuclides in Eliozu Dumpsite, Obio-Akpor L.G.A. South-South Nigeria
W. C. Ulakpa1, E. O. Eyankware2, M.O Eyankware3, R. O. U. Eyankware4
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, Nigeria.
2Department of Gas Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Port-Harcourt, P. M. B 5323, Rivers State, Nigeria.
3Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki. P.M.B 053, Ebonyi State Nigeria.
4Department of Geography and Meteorology, Faculty of Environmental Science, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Corresponding Author: Wisdom C. Ulakpa
ABSTRACT
This research investigated the presence of radionuclides (40K, 238U and 232Th) in the dumpsite soil and groundwater around Eliozu dumpsite. The work was aimed at assessing possible radiation from heterogeneous waste disposed at the dumpsite. Five samples of water and soil were collected and tested with NaI (TI) detector gamma spectrometric device 40K, 238U and 232Th radionuclides. The results showed that specific activity for 40K ranges from 242.36 ± 2.94 Bq/kg to 501.97 ± 2.93 Bq/kg with an average value of 368.25 ± 3.46 Bq/kg, 238U ranges from 18.41 ± 2.47 Bq/kg to 34.53 ± 3.08 Bq/kg with an average activity of 24.06 ± 2.82 Bq/kg, while 232Th ranges from 21.89 ± 5.53 Bq/kg to 43.14 ± 3.12 Bq/kg with an average activity of 30.45 ± 5.77 Bq/kg for soil samples. For water samples, 40K ranges from 19.47 ± 9.48 Bq/L to 33.12 ± 2.73 Bq/L with an average activity of 24.77 ± 8.30 Bq/L, 238U ranges from 7.32 ± 1.82 Bq/L to 9.94 ± 3.14 Bq/L with an average activity of 7.92 ± 2.7 Bq/L while 232Th ranges from 3.61 ± 1.43 Bq/L to 8.92 ± 1.09 Bq/L with an average activity of 6.96 ± 2.4 Bq/L. The absorbed dose rate and equivalent dose rate for soil samples were 46.08 ± 5.18 nGy/hr and 0.40 ± 0.0.04 mSv/yr while that for the water samples were 9.76 ± 3.76 nGy/hr and 0.09 ± 0.03 mSv/yr respectively. The results were within the permissible limits of ICRP and UNSCEAR showing that the radiation poses no radiological hazard to the environment. However, conscious effort must be made to curb indiscriminate disposal of waste at the dumpsite as the amount of radiation being emitted by radionuclides has increased compared to the study carried out at same geographical location by previous research.
Keywords: Radionuclide concentration, specific activity, absorbed dose rate, equivalent dose rate, dumpsite.