Assessment of Radiological Hazard Risks Due to Gross Alpha and Beta Radioactivity in Groundwater from Damaturu, North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Groundwater remains the largest source of potable water in Damaturu town. The study of gross radioactivity and its associated hazard  risks in potable water is crucial to the health and well-being of the populace of the study area. Thus, radiological hazard indices such as  annual effective dose, excess  lifetime cancer risk, lifetime hereditary effect, and lifetime fatality cancer risk due to gross alpha and beta  radiation from fifteen samples of borehole water have been evaluated. The mean values obtained from the analyses are 2531.48E–5  mSvy–1 & 5637.92E–5 for AED, 12.18E–5 & 23.26E–5 for ELCR, 443.01E–5 & 845.69E–5 for LHE and 12.18E–5 & 23.26E–5 for LFCR,  respectively. By comparison, all the mean values obtained from this study are below the recommended limits set by UNSCEAR. Thus, the  study indicates that the groundwater in the study area is radiologically safe for drinking purposes as the radiation dose level is very low.  However, it is recommended that the study be further expanded to include all sources of potable water in the study area. This study  aimed to provide baseline radiological survey of potable water for the study area.