PAPER TITLE :DOSE ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL RADIONUCLIDE IN SOILS OF DIFFERENT GOLD MINE PITS AT EPE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

JOURNAL Of SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY | VOLUME 7 NUMBER 1 2016

Paper Details

  • Author(s) : *FAROMIKA, O. P., OKE, J. A. and AJAYI, O.S.
  • Abstract:

The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in soil samples of Gold mining
Pits in Epe, Osun State, South-Western Nigerian were assessed. Ten soil samples were collected
at random from ten pits in each of four locations around the mining area of Epe. The average values
of activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K for these soil samples were measured using high
purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The average values of activity concentrations for 226Ra, 232Th
and 40K were 6.03 ± 1.23 Bq kg-1, 8.52 ± 1.25 Bq kg-1 and 216.18 ± 28.70 Bq kg-1 respectively. The
average values of the radiation hazard indices for absorbed dose (D), annual effective dose equivalent
(AEDE), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE), external hazard
index (Hex), internal hazard index (Hin), representative gamma index (Iã) and excess lifetime cancer
risk (ELCR) were 16.95 nGy h-1, 20.78 μSv y-1, 34.87 Bq kg-1, 122.15 mSv y-1, 0.094, 0.110, 0.269
and 0.072 respectively. The average values of AEDE and ELCR for miners were 34.30 and 0.120
respectively. The average value of activity concentration were found to be lower than the world
average of 35, 30 and 400 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K respectively. The values of the radiation
hazard indices in all locations are below the recommended maximum permissible limit by ICRP.
Keywords: Radionuclides, Gold mining Pits,