Gross α and β Activity Concentration and Estimation of Adults and Infants Dose intake in Surface and Ground Water of Ten Oil Fields Environment in Western Niger Delta of Nigeria

Abstract

The oil and gas rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria is characterized by environmental degradation leading to environmental pollution from oil and gas activities. This study examined the gross α and β activity in thirty (river/stream, well and tap) water samples collected from ten oil fields in the Western Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The counting system employed in this analysis is the Gas-flow proportional counter {Eurisys Measure IN20 low- background multiple (eight) channel counter}. Gross alpha activity concentration range from 0.01±0.002 to 0.7±0.01 (0.15±0.003) Bql^-1, 0.01±0.003 to 0.5±0.01 (0.1±0.003)Bql^-1and 0.02±0.001 to 35.1±1.1 (4.1±0.1) Bql^-1 while beta activity concentration ranged from 1.1±0.04 to 13.2±0.1 (6.0±0.1) Bql^-1, 0.7±0.1 to 54.7±1.3 (8.9±0.2)Bql^-1 and 0.7±0.03 to 151.2±1.8 (40.1±0.9)Bql^-1 for well, tap and river waters respectively. Correlation value between α and β activities in well, tap and river water is 0.025, 0.047 and 0.512 respectively. The results show that except for the alpha activity in the tap water samples, the average natural activity concentrations of α- and β-emitting radionuclides in the samples are slightly above the WHO recommended limit. For all samples the gross β activities are higher than the corresponding gross α activities. The mean effective equivalent dose intake per year due to alpha activity in the water samples for adults and infants are: 76.4±1.8 and 20.9±55μSvy^-1, 54.6±1.3 and 14.9±0.4 μSvy^-1, and 2118±70 and 584±19.2μSvy^-1 in well, tap, and river water samples respectively. The results obtained for dose intake are below the WHO recommended reference level of 0.1mSvy-1, except for the water sample from Uzere river. This study indicates that the water sources evaluated, especially the rivers, are contaminated radiologically. @JASEM