title: Radiological risk assessment of natural radionuclides in sand collected from some beaches along the coastline of southwestern Nigeria.
abstract: The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in sand from three beaches in southwestern Nigeria had been determined employing the gamma-ray spectroscopy method. The mean activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K, respectively, were 12.5 ± 3.3, 25.8 ± 4.7 and 153.9 ± 18.5 Bq kg(-1) for Suntan Beach, 13.1 ± 3.1, 23.9 ± 4.5 and 219.9 ± 33.9 Bq kg(-1) for Bar Beach. Lekki Beach had 13.2 ± 3.2, 26.3 ± 3.8 and 149.0 ± 19.8 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The absorbed dose rates were calculated as 27.8 ± 3.1, 29.7 ± 4.0, 28.2 ± 3.3 nGy h(-1), respectively. The corresponding annual effective doses are 0.034 ± 0.004, 0.036 ± 0.005, 0.035 ± 0.004 mSv y(-1), which are less than the limit of 1 mSv y(-1) recommended for the members of the public. The radiological hazard indices are within the maximum recommended limits, hence pose no significant radiological hazards for construction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ademola
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Nwafor
mesh_terms: D001493:Bathing Beaches; D002138:Calibration; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D009549:Nigeria; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma / Q000379:methods; D013910:Thorium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D013910:Thorium; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D011883:Radium