Determination of radionuclides in soil samples taken from Gura Topp (Jos) using sodium iodide thallium detector Nai(Ti)

Abstract

The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th in soil samples taken from the tin mining area in Gura top, Jos were measured by gamma spectrometry using Sodium Iodide detector. The average specific activity concentrations of ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th determined in the soil sample ranged from 11.26±3.16Bq/Kg to 543.35±0.64Bq/Kg with mean activity concentration of 161.96±7.56Bq/Kg for ⁴⁰K, that of ²²⁶Ra ranged from 7.19±1.23Bq/Kg to 144.20±10.18Bq/Kg with the mean activity of 46.47±5.19Bq/Kg while ²³²Th ranged from 76.08±3.38Bq/Kg to 1267.91±15.37Bq/Kg, with mean activity concentration of 396.17±7.69Bq/Kg. The results indicates that the activity concentration of ⁴⁰K was found to be below the world average while that of ²³²Th and ²²⁶Ra were detected to be above the world average value. This suggests that t the study area has excess thorium and radium activities which pose significant health hazard and is considered radio-logically unsafe for human to cultivate on the land.

Keywords: Activity concentration, Gamma spectrometry, Natural radionuclides and Sodium, Iodide detector