RESUMEN
In this study, cassava tubers cultivated in the Ewekoro cement area were investigated with the aid of Hyper Pure Germanium (HPGe) detector in order to assess the radionuclide content. Twenty-seven (27) samples of both arable soil and cassava tubers were studied at different sites to the epicenter of the mining activity. The results revealed the highest activity concentrations of K-40, Ra-226, and Th-232 to be 194.10, 63.92, and 76.90 Bq/kg, respectively, in soil to be at site 1, which was 50 m away from the cement mining site. Similarly, cassava reported the highest activity concentrations of 228.15 and 81.50 Bq/kg for K-40 and Ra-226, respectively, at sites 2, which was 150 m away from the mining site. However, the highest value of Th-232 in cassava was noted in site 1. Also, the highest values of Raeq for arable soil and cassava tubers were estimated to be 188.84 Bq/kg and 199.89 Bq/kg at site 1 and site 2, respectively. All the above results were higher than the recommended safe limits by a factor of 2. Moreover, the Total Annual Effective Dose of exposure by oral ingestion of cassava tubers for different age groups revealed children to have the highest level of exposure with the highest mean value of 7.98 mSv. This is followed by adults and infants, which reported 5.66 and 5.38 mSv, respectively, all at site 2. This result is far greater than the recommended safe limits of 1 mSv. Therefore, the results of the total averages of annual effective doses due to consumption of the three natural radionuclides in cassava tubers and other products from it by adults, children, and infants were found to be above the average annual ingestion radiation dose due to natural sources. Further statistical analysis of the results showed significant differences between sites 1 and 2 and between sites 1 and 3, where there was no statistically significant difference between sites 2 and 3.
Asunto(s)
Manihot , Monitoreo de Radiación , Radio (Elemento) , Contaminantes Radiactivos del Suelo , Niño , Humanos , Radio (Elemento)/análisis , Monitoreo de Radiación/métodos , Radioisótopos/análisis , Suelo , Contaminantes Radiactivos del Suelo/análisis , Radioisótopos de Potasio/análisis , Torio/análisisRESUMEN
The poor access to water quality for Nigerians has pushed for the designing of new trend silver nitrate impregnated locally made Point-Of-Use (POU) ceramic filters to enhance water purification efficiency for household use. This study utilized silver nitrate-molded ceramic filters prepared with Kaolin from Owode, silt soil, sodium silicate, sawdust, and distilled water in three varying proportions to ascertain pollution removal efficiencies. Heating was carried out by firing the filters at 900 °C and further preheating at 400 °C after dipping in silver nitrate solution. Silver nanoparticle and dissociated particle discharge from filter pot painted with 0.03 mg/g casein-covered nAg or AgNO3 were estimated as an element of pH (5-9), ionic strength (1-50mM), and cation species (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+). Silver delivery was constrained by disintegration as Ag+ and resulting cation exchange measures, paying little heed to silver structure applied. Water analysis for both heavy metals (Pb and Cd) and microbial load (E. coli) evaluated, corroborate the maximum removal efficiency. It was observed that kaolin-sawdust with the Silver nitrate filters showed a constant and effective removal of both heavy metals and disinfection of microbial loads. The minimum flow rates observed were 4.97 mL/min for batch filter used for Iju River water sample one (AF1) and 4.98 mL/min for batch filter used for Iju River water sample two (AF2) having porosity 49.05% and 50.00%, whereas the 5 mL/min higher flow rate was used for batch filter from borehole water sample one (BF1) and batch filter used for well water sample two (CF2) with porosity of 50.00%. Significantly, the results obtained show that the filters are suitable for point-of-use application in both the urban and rural areas of developing countries such as Nigeria.
RESUMEN
The radioactivity levels were measured using a hand-held gamma-ray survey meter and NaI (Tl) based gamma spectroscopy to evaluate the seasonal variation of radioactivity levels in the riverine area of Ado-Odo Ota. The measured iso-dose map reported higher gamma dose rate of 79 nGy/h, approximately 34% higher than the world average of 59 nGy/h. The values for U-238, Th-232 and K-40 activity levels ranged between 29.9 and 21.6; 103.2 and 31.2; 802.2 and 233.5 with mean values of 26.1, 55.6 and 499.3 Bq/kg, respectively. According to the mean, 5th and 95th percentiles of the probabilities using the Monte Carlo simulation, the Radium equivalent activities and the absorbed dose rates are within their respective recommended limits of 370 Bq/kg and 84 nGy/h. This study could be used to monitor dose rates and radiological risks for the areas covering the small area (Ado-Odo Ota) to the larger area (West African Region) as baseline data.