Radionuclide contents in yam samples and health risks assessment in Oguta oil producing locality Imo State Nigeria
Open Access
- 5 April 2021
- journal article
- Published by Heighten Science Publications Corporation in International Journal of Physics Research and Applications
- Vol. 4 (1), 006-014
- https://doi.org/10.29328/journal.ijpra.1001034
Abstract
Oguta LGA is surrounded by 44 oil wells located around different communities. Preliminary investigations indicated that crude wastes were not properly managed and oil spillage occurred regularly in the LGA. Therefore, assessment of both radionuclide contents in yam matrix and health risks in Oguta was carried out to determine possible radiological health risks associated with improper management of crude wastes, and also evaluate haematological health profile in the LGA for future reference and research. A well calibrated NaI (Tl) detector was deployed for the radiological investigation, and about 5 ml of blood samples were collected from 190 participants each from Oguta and the control LGAs for haematological assessment. Mean activity concentrations due to 40K, 226Ra and 232Th in yam samples from Oguta LGA were 189.99 ± 59.14 Bqkg-1, 23.75 ± 5.69 Bqkg-1 and 30.99 ± 9.51 Bqkg-1, respectively while mean activity concentrations due to natural radionuclides in yam samples from control LGA were 110.40 ± 78.53 Bqkg-1, 10.12 ± 3.34 Bqkg-1 and 18.39 ± 8.74 Bqkg-1 for 40K, 226Ra and 232Th, respectively. Committed effective dose equivalent values in Oguta and the control LGAs were 704.95 ± 183.30 μSvy-1 and 403.65 ± 172.19 μSvy-1, respectively which are less than world average value of 1.1 mSvy-1. Crucially, one-way ANOVA at α0.05 has indicated that effects of radiological parameters due to natural radionuclides in yam from Oguta are significantly different from effects of radiological parameters due to natural radionuclides in yam from the control LGA. However, the percentage contributions of natural radiation exposures to incidence of cancer in Oguta and the control LGAs are just 1.7% and 1.4%, respectively, and haematological investigations have shown that overall health of the communities in the study LGAs has not been compromised due to environmental and human factors. Hence, natural radioactivity may have been elevated in Oguta but the concentration levels are not yet alarming. Radiological health risks could result from consistent exposure to those natural radionuclides in the long term.Keywords
This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit:
- Assessment of natural radioactivity, associated radiological health hazards indices and soil-to-crop transfer factors in cultivated area around a fertilizer factory in Onne, NigeriaEnvironmental Earth Sciences, 2013
- Clinical and haematological parameters in adult AML patients: a four year experience at Nanakaly hospital for blood diseasesZanco Journal of Medical Sciences, 2012
- Effects of Food Diet Preparation Techniques on Radionuclide Intake and Its Implications for Individual Ingestion Effective Dose in Abeokuta, Southwestern NigeriaWorld Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 2012
- Soil radionuclide concentrations and radiological assessment in and around a refining and petrochemical company in Warri, Niger Delta, NigeriaJournal of Radiological Protection, 2008
- Estimation of annual effective dose due to natural radioactive elements in ingestion of foodstuffs in tin mining area of Jos-Plateau, NigeriaJournal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2007
- Radioassay of prominent Nigerian fossil fuels using gamma and TXRF spectroscopyFuel, 2006
- Soil radioactivity and incidence of cancer in NigeriaJournal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2006
- Environmental impact studies of barium and radium discharges by produced waters from the “Bacia de Campos” oil-field offshore platforms, BrazilJournal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2002
- Baseline Studies of Terrestrial Outdoor Gamma Dose Rate Levels in NigeriaRadiation Protection Dosimetry, 2000
- An assessment of 210Pb and 210Po in terrestrial foodstuffs from regions of England and WalesJournal of Environmental Radioactivity, 1999