Assessment of the Effective Dose Arising from Radon Exposure through Groundwater Consumption and Inhalation in Nasarawa, Nigeria

In Nasarawa State, groundwater is the most often used source of fresh water for daily consumption, but its quality still remains a serious concern due to rising concentrations of radon resulting from activities of mining. This study assesses the effective dose arising from radon exposure through groundwater consumption and inhalation in Nasarawa, Nigeria, using the liquid scintillation detector. Ten borehole samples of groundwater were collected. The mean content of radon from water samples of Nasarawa was 19.393±0.254 Bq/l. The average ingested and inhaled dose effectiveness annually was 0.102±0.0014 mSv/y and 5.05 x10-5±0.000 mSv/y, respectively. In Nasarawa, the average ingested extra lifetime cancer risk was 3.585 x10-4±0.000 and for inhalation was 1.768 x 10-7 ±0.000. Research area's average radon concentration was higher than the standard of 11.1 Bq/l set by the SON and USEPA. Based on the findings of the present work, the radon concentration is unacceptable. Hence, inhabitants should be restricted from using the water until measures are put into place. However further analysis could be carried out in the area to prevent people from cancer risk. To cover the entire zone, additional research should be conducted covering additional sources in the study area. As concentrations of radon in water sources varies with time as a result of dilution by rainfall, more examination may be conducted in dry and raining periods.

Assessment of the Effective Dose Arising from Radon Exposure through Groundwater Consumption and Inhalation in Nasarawa, Nigeria Keywords:

Groundwater , Annual effective dose , Excess lifetime cancer risk , ingestion , Inhalation