RADIOACTIVITY AND CHEMISTRY OF GROUNDWATER FROM URANIUM MINERALIZED AREAS AROUND GURBRUNDE, NORTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

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Date
2012
Authors
ABDULLAHI, ARABI SULEIMAN
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Abstract
Uranium mineralization around Gubrunde, Kanawa, Zona and Dali in north-eastern Nigeria has been reported by previous workers. As a result of its chemical toxicity and/or ionizing radiation, consumption of groundwater with elevated uranium levels over a long period of time has the possibility of causing kidney and/or cancer problems. Thirty five groundwater samples were collected from dug wells within latitude 10°00’N to 10°30’N and longitude 11°30’E to 12°00’E. These samples were analyzed for mass/activity concentration of uranium, radium and thorium, concentration of major, minor and trace constituents in order to evaluate the risks associated with its use for different purposes. The results showed that uranium concentration ranges from 0.07 to 68.09μg/L (0.07 to 61.28pCi/L) with percentage relative standard deviation (%RSD) of 4.06%. A total of 5.7% of the samples analyzed had uranium concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization’s maximum contaminant level of 30μg/L indicating a possibility that consumption of water from these areas over a long period of time might result in kidney and/or cancer problems. The presence of dissolved phosphate, slightly acidic and high iron values in the waters might have affected the migration of radionuclides from the rhyolite and undifferentiated granite and gneisses to water leading to low uranium levels in 84.3% of the samples. Values recorded for 226Ra and 228Ra range from 0.05 to 6.7pCi/L and 0.2 to 4.8pCi/L, respectively, which falls below the guideline of 20pCi/L. Thorium is not considered a threat as values recorded range from 0.02 to 1.10μg/L. Water types identified are Mg-HCO3, Ca-HCO3, Na-HCO3, Mg-Cl and Ca-Cl types, with percentage distributions of 45.7%, 22.8%, 14.28%, 14.28% and 2.85%, respectively. As regards their suitability for irrigation, 82.7% of the samples were 8 categorized as good to excellent, 8.3% as permissible to good, 6% as doubtful to permissible, and 3% as unsuitable for irrigation.
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A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN APPLIED HYDROGEOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA 2012
Keywords
RADIOACTIVITY,, GEOCHEMISTRY,, GROUNDWATER,, URANIUM,, MINERALIZED,, AREAS,, GURBRUNDE,, NORTH-EASTERN,, NIGERIA.
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