Occupational Hazards from BIR in Selected Crude Oil Production Pipes Storage Locations in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Abstract

The study of occupational hazards from BIR in selected crude oil production pipes storage locations in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria has been carried out using two well calibrated radiation monitoring meters (Digilert Tm 100 and Radalert Tm 200). A global positioning system (GPS 76 CSX) was also used to geographically co-ordinate the sampling locations. Measurements were carried out in forty two (42) selected locations in oil producing area of Niger Delta. The following parameters were estimated to determine the level of occupational exposures by crude oil production pipes dealers and customers. The result of the highest exposure rate was observed in Warri Steel Village, Delta State and the lowest value was in Ogunu, Warri, Delta State with respective values of 61.4 and 12.2 µRh-1. The mean exposure rate value for all the test study locations was 19.18 ± 10.25 µRh-1. The absorbed dose values ranged from 106.1 to 533.7nGyhr-1 with mean value of 166.73 ± 89.08 nGyh-1 while the calculated annual effective dose range from 162.71 to 818.23 µSvy-1 with an average value of 255.60 ± 136.57 µSvy-1 and the excess lifetime cancer risk ranges from 0.45 to 2.25 × 10-3 with mean value of 0.70 ± 0.38 × 10-3. All the radiation hazard parameters determined exceeded their respective world safe values. This research work indicated that the crude oil production pipes radioactive scales may have impacted the storage locations radiologically. The elevated radiation hazard parameters observed in this study may pose ill health effects to those working and leaving in the studied locations especially long term ionizing radiation exposure.