RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND HEAVY METAL ANALYSIS AT KADUNA REFINING AND PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY LIMITED, NIGERIA
RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND HEAVY METAL ANALYSIS AT KADUNA REFINING AND PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY LIMITED, NIGERIA
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Date
2018-10
Authors
ABUBAKAR, MOHAMMAD
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Abstract
This study assessed the radiological and some heavy metal (Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr, Co and Cd) composition in soil and plant sample at five different locations inside Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company using gamma spectrometry (HPGe detector) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in soil and plant samples were determined using high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. All studied radionuclides were present in all the samples except for 137Cs which was not detected in all the samples. The mean activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K were observed to be 61.98, 65.37 and 207.79Bq/kg in soil and 18.73, 12.73 and 278.79Bq/kg in plant samples. The mean radiation hazard levels in both soil and plant of study area were (154.35Bq/kg and 58.40Bq/Kg) for radium equivalent activity Raeq, (90.75 nGy/h and 28.18nGy/h) for absorb dose rate, (86.27μSv/y and 34.56μSv/y) for annual effective dose equivalent, 0.42 for external hazard index (Hex) and 0.57 for internal hazard index (Hin) respectively. The study shows that all the results obtained for the radiation hazard levels in all the samples were less than the world recommended average except for the AEDE and absorbed dose rate (D) in soil samples which were found to be higher than the world recommended value of 70 μSv/yr and 59 nGy/hr. The study area was observed to be concentrated with Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cr, Cd while Co and Ni however, were Below Detection Limit (BDL) in all the samples. The mean concentrations (ppm) of Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cr, Cd for the soil samples were obtained to be 0.42, 0.02, 1.01, 0.21, 0.015 and 0.004 respectively. Similarly the mean concentrations (ppm) of Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cr, Cd for the plant samples were obtained to be 0.18, 0.02, 0.22, 0.15, 0.01 and 0.003 respectively. The obtained results were found to be low when compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended values on maximum limits of the studied heavy metals in soil samples
Description
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD
OF MASTER DEGREE IN RADIATION BIOPHYSICS
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
FACULTY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA NIGERIA
Keywords
RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT,, HEAVY METALS ANALYSIS,, KADUNA REFINING,, PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY LIMITED,, NIGERIA