Gamma Radiation Levels of Some Selected Government Farms in Rivers State Nigeria

Abstract

Human are exposed to Background Ionizing radiation (BIR) due to the consumption of crops from fertilized farms within the study area.an in-situ measurement of BIR exposure rate in six fertilized farms and the unfertilized farm aws carried out using a well calibrated portable nuclear radiation detector (Digilert 200). and Geographical positioning system (GPS) for measuring the geographical location. The BIR of the selected local government area varies from 0.012 mR/hr to 0.022 mR / hr and the higher BIR value recorded in Khana, Obio / Akpor, Ahuoda east and Emuoha Local Government area (0.015 mR/hr, 0.015 mR / hr , 0.014 mR/hr , 0.014 mR / hr . While the mean value of Eleme and Gokana were within the permissible limit of 0.013 mR/hr and the BIR of the unfertilized farm was lower than the standard value of 0.013 mR/hr.the mean of absorbed dose varies from 1131 nGy / hr to 122.1nGy/hr which was higher than the recommended safe limit of 84.0 nGy / hr UNSCEAR 2008.The mean of ELCR varies from 0.63 to 0.72x10-3 which is higher than the world average value. The AEDE varies from 0.14 to 0.33 mSv / yr which are below the recommended permissible limit of 1.0 mSv / yr for general public. The effective dose to different body organs are below the recommended limit of 1.0 mSv / yr. The study shows that fertilized farms are contaminated due consistence application of fertilizers during cultivation, but the contamination does not have any direction health effect on individual who consumed crops from fertilized farms but there is the potential for long term health hazards in future such as Cancer due to consistence consumption of crops from fertilized farms.