A study of environmental radioactivity measurement of selected Kaolin mining fields in Kwara, Nigeria. Issue 1 (31st December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Usikalu, Mojisola Rachael; Orosun, Muyiwa Michael; Akinpelu, Akinwumi; Oyewumi, Kayode John
• Editors: Shukla, Sanjay Kumar
• Is Part Of: Cogent engineering. Volume 9:Issue 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12-31
• Subjects: Kaolin -- mining -- Nigeria -- radioactivity -- radiological risk; Engineering -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals; Engineering; Technology; Periodicals; 620
• DOI: 10.1080/23311916.2022.2105034
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2331-1916

Abstract

Abstract: This article reports an in-situ measurements of the background gamma radiation dose rates and the activity concentrations of 238 U, 232 Th and 40 K, at kaolin mining-fields in Ilorin-south and Ilorin-west, Kwara, Nigeria. Readings were recorded in 90 randomly selected sample points. For Ilorin-south mining site 50 sample points were recorded, while 40 randomly selected sample points were considered for Ilorin-west mining site. A handheld RS-125 Super-Spec gamma spectrometer was utilized to perform the radioactivity measurements on both mine fields. The results of the activity concentrations showed that the locations are enhanced with 40 K activity concentration compared with 238 U and 232 Th. The mean values of 40 K, 238 U, 232 Th and DR for Ilorin-west were found to be 492.19, 35.63, 44.07 Bqkg −1 and 63.28 nGyh −1, respectively. While the mean values for the measured activity concentrations of 40 K, 238 U, 232 Th and DR for Ilorin-south are 263.55, 52.24, 31.29 Bqkg −1 and 54.71 nGyh −1, respectively. Consequently, the mean values of the estimated radiological hazard parameters of Ilorin-west were higher than the estimated mean values for Ilorin-south. This shows that the Ilorin-west Kaolin mine field poses more significant source of radiation hazard. The results in this current work can be used as a significant baseline radioactivity data of the mining areas in Nigeria for future epidemiology and monitoring purposes.