| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2012 | Volume
: 35
| Issue : 1 | Page : 22-28 |
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Radiological impact of soil as a source of building material
Francis Otoo1, Emmanuel Ofori Darko1, Geoffrey Emi-Reynolds1, Aba Bentil Andam2, Oscar Kwaku Adukpo1
1 Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission; Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
2 Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Correspondence Address:
Francis Otoo
Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box LG 80, Legon-Accra
Ghana
 Source of Support: Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission., Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0972-0464.111406
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The radiological hazards associated with naturally occurring radioactive materials in soil samples from different geological locations have been studied using gamma spectrometry. The average activity concentration of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K were (16.4-74.6 Bq/kg), (12.0-44.7 Bq/kg), and (215.4-498.6 Bq/kg). The highest values of 226 Ra and 232 Th occurred in Dodowa and Oyibi respectively. The 40 K recorded the highest activity concentration of 498.6 Bq/kg, measured in soil from McCarthy Hills. The radium equivalent activity (Ra eq ; 46.9-135.7 Bq/kg), the internal hazards index (H in ; 0.29-0.52) the external hazard index (H ex ; 0.22-0.37), the absorbed dose rate in air (23.3-75.8 nGy/h), and the annual effective dose (E T ) (44.4-79.4 uSv/y) were evaluated to assess the radiation hazard to the populace living in dwellings made of these soil as a building material. The results obtained were found to be within the acceptable limits for public exposure control recommended by the European Commission, International Commission on Radiological Protection, and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development-Nuclear Energy Agency. |
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