Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T12:41:18.101Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Radiological assessment of natural radionuclides in soil withinand around crude oil flow and gas compression stations in the Niger Delta,Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 June 2010

J.A. Ademola  and
E.E. Atare
J.A. Ademola
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
E.E. Atare
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Get access

Abstract

Natural radionuclide concentrations in soil samples collected within and around crude oilflow and gas compression stations in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, were determined usinggamma-ray spectroscopy. The mean activity concentrations of 40K,238U and 232Th varied from 30.1 ± 3.0 to 59.0 ± 17.1, BDL to 8.8 ±2.3 and 7.9 ± 3.7 to 10.9 ± 1.9 Bq.kg-1, respectively. The 40K,238U and 232Th contents of the soil samples are very low comparedwith the world average for natural background area. The absorbed dose rate and effectivedose ranged from 6.9 to 11.1 nGy.h-1 and 8.5 to 13.6 μSv.y-1,respectively. The annual gonadal dose equivalent rate ranged from 48.9 to 77.5μSv.y-1, which is lower than the world average of 0.30 mSv.y-1.The radium equivalent activity and the external hazard index of the soil samples werebelow the recommended limits of 370 Bq.kg-1 and unity, respectively. Theresults obtained reveal that there is no significant radiation hazard due to naturalradionuclides of the soil samples in the studied areas.

Keywords

Natural radionuclidesradiological assessmentcrude oilNiger delta
Type
Article
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 219 - 227
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ademola, J.A. (2008a) Exposure to high background radiation level in the tin mining area of Jos Plateau, Nigeria, J. Radiol. Prot. 28, 93-99..CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ademola, J.A. (2008b) Assessment of natural radionuclide content of cements used in Nigeria, J. Radiol. Prot. 28, 581-588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beretka, J., Mathew, P.J. (1985) Natural radioactivity of Australian building materials, industrial waste and by-products, Health Phys. 48, 87-95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Egidi P. (1999) Current status of TENORM Regulations and Developing Issues from Federal, State and International Perspectives, Health Physics Society Annual Meeting, Philadelphis, PA, 27 June, PEP course 2-H, Bt.
IAEA (1989) International Atomic Energy Agency. Measurements of Radionuclides in Food and the Environment – A Guidebook. STI/DOC/10/295 IAEA Vienna.
Jibiri, N.N., Emelue, H.U. (2008) Soil radionuclide concentration and radiological assessment in and around a refining and petrochemical company in Warri, Niger Delta, Nigeria, J. Radiol. Prot. 28, 361-368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
OECD (1979) Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. Exposure to radiation from natural radioactivity in building materials, Report by a Group of Experts of the OECD (Paris: Nuclear Energy Agency).
Smith K.P., Blunt D.L., Williams G.P., Arnish J.J., Pfingston M., Herbert H., Haffenden R.A. (1999) An assessment of the disposal of petroleum industry NORM in non-hazardous land fills. National Petroleum Technology Office US Department of Energy Report No. DOE/BC/W-31-109-ENG-38-8.
Tsurikov N., Koperski J. (1999) TENORM Legislation – Theory and Practice, IAEA TECDOC-1271, Technologically enhanced natural radiation (TENR-II), Proceedings of an International Symposium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September, pp. 3-9.
UNSCEAR (1982) United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Ionizing Radiation: Sources and Biological Effects. 1982 Report to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes. Annex C: Technologically modified exposures to natural radiation (New York, United Nations).
UNSCEAR (1988) United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, Report to the General Assembly, 43rd Session (New York, United Nations).
UNSCEAR (2000) United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, Vol. 1: Sources, Report to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes, Annex B: Exposures from natural radiation sources (New York, United Nations).
USEPA (2003) United States Environmental Protection Agency. Guidance-Potential for radiation contamination associated with mineral and resource extraction industries. Office of Air and Radiation memorandum, April 15 (Washington DC, 20460).
Xinwei, L., Lingqing, W., Xiaodan, J., Leipeng, Y., Gelian, D. (2006) Specific activity and hazards of Archeozoic-Cambrian rock samples collected from the Weibei Area of Shaanxi, China, Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 118, 352-358.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed