title: Radiation doses and hazards from processing of crude oil at the Tema oil refinery in Ghana.
abstract: Processing of crude oil has been carried out in Ghana for more than four decades without measures to assess the hazards associated with the naturally occurring radionuclides in the raw and processed materials. This study investigates the exposure of the public to (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in crude oil, petroleum products and wastes at the Tema oil refinery in Ghana using gamma-ray spectrometry. The study shows higher activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides in the wastes than the crude oil and the products with estimated hazard indices less than unity. The values obtained in the study are within recommended limits for public exposure indicating that radiation exposure from processing of the crude oil at the refinery does not pose any significant radiological hazard but may require monitoring to establish long-term effect on both public and workers.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Institute, GAEC, Box LG80, Legon, Ghana. darkoeo@yahoo.com
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Darko
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Kpeglo
authors.forename: E H K
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Akaho
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schandorf
authors.forename: P A S
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Adu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faanu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abankwah
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lawluvi
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Awudu
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007220:Industrial Waste; D010578:Petroleum / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D010578:Petroleum; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D013910:Thorium; D011883:Radium