Assessment of Environmental Radioactivity Level and its Health Implication in Imiringi Community Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

A total forty two (42) sampled points were investigated for radioactivity level and health implication using standard method. The exposure dose rate  ranged from 14 to 32μRh^-1 with an average value of μ23Rh^-1. Dose rate and equivalent dose rate ranged from 121.8 to 278.4nGyh^-1 and 1.18 to 2.69mSvy^-1 respectively. The average value of the indoor annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), outdoor AEDE, and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were computed to be 0.936 mSvy^-1, 0.311 mSvy^-1 and 0.810 x 10^-3 respectively. Analysis of dose to human organs; testes and ovaries, were 0.61 and 0.43 mSvy^-1 respectively. Exposure rate, dose rate and ELCR exceeded the recommended values. All the outdoor AEDEs were within the permissible value of 1.0 mSvy^-1 for general public and below the limit of 20 mSvy-1 for radiological workers as recommended by International
Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP).

Keywords: Assessment, Environmental radioactivity, Exposure dose, Health impact