Transfer Factor of Selected Radionuclides from Soil to Plant in Selected Dump Site of Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre Local Government Areas of Rivers State

Abstract

Indiscriminate dumping of municipal and industrial wastes in our environment has increased human exposure to hazardous substances which is detrimental to their health. In this research, radionuclide transfer factor was ascertained from crops planted near major dump sites in Rivers State. Samples of food crops and soil near the dumpsites were collected for gamma spectroscopy. The average activity concentration of 40K, 238U and 232Th in soil are 115.87 \(\pm\)  17.01 Bqkg-1, 31.54 \(\pm\) 7.13 Bqkg-1 and 18.77 \(\pm\) 6.02 Bqkg-1. While in crop are 403.46 \(\pm\) 13.06 Bqkg-1, 9.54 \(\pm\) 4.02 and 22.245.11.  In soil, all the radionuclide values were all within the world average value and in crop, the values were also within the world average value except for 40K that was more prevalent in crop and exceeds the world average value of 400Bqkg-1. The activity concentration of radionuclides 40K, 238U and 232Th for transfer factor are 8.187667Bqkg-1, 0.231667Bqkg-1 and 2.144333Bqkg-1 respectively with potassium having the highest mean transfer factor which may be due to its higher accumulation in crop. Based on this finding, cassava products cultivated in dumpsites are not radiologically free and safe for human consumption.