Radio elements and radiation dose level measurements at Umar Suleiman Hall of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria

Abstract

Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or particles and is part of our everyday environment. People are exposed to radiation from cosmic rays, as well as to radioactive materials found in the soil, water, food, air and also inside the body. An in-situ measurement of the indoor and outdoor background radiation level was carried out at the Umar Sulaiman Hall of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria using a portable Gamma Ray Spectrometer. A total of 30 rooms were surveyed across the five blocks randomly selected within the Hall. The measured dose rate for the entire rooms ranges from 0.154 mSv/hr to 0.194 mSv/hr, which is less than the recommended limit of 1 mSv/y. The mean concentration of ⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U, and ²³²Th were also measured and found to be within the ranges 12.62 Bq/Kg to 13.24 Bq/Kg, 100.40 Bq/Kg to 150.18 Bq/Kg, and 101.52 Bq/Kg to 167.96 Bq/Kg respectively. ⁴⁰K values were all found to be far less than the worlds average value of 420 Bq/Kg , 238U values were mostly 3 times higher than the worlds average value of 33 Bq/Kg and that of ²³²Th were also about 2 times higher than the worlds average value of 45 Bq/Kg. The results showed that radiation dose levels are due to only natural sources and pose no any significant health threat to the students living within Umar
Sulaiman Hall.