title: Radiochemical characterization of produced water from two production offshore oilfields in Ghana.
abstract: Produced water from two Ghanaian offshore production oilfields has been characterized using alpha spectrometry after radiochemical separation, non-destructive gamma spectrometry and ICP-MS and other complimentary analytical tools. The measured concentrations of main NORM components were in the range of 6.2-22.3 Bq.L(-1), 6.4-35.5 Bq.L(-1), and 0.7-7.0 Bq.L(-1) for (226)Ra, (228)Ra and (224)Ra respectively. A good correlation between several physico-chemical parameters and radium isotopes was observed in each production oilfield. The radium concentrations obtained in this study for produced water from the two oilfields of Ghana are of radiological importance and hence there may be the need to put in place measures for future contamination concerns due to their bioavailability in the media and bioaccumulation characteristics. The results will assist in critical decision making for future set up of appropriate national guidelines for the management of NORM waste from the emerging oil and gas industry in Ghana.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics II, E.T.S.A., University of Seville, Seville, Spain; Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P. O. Box LG80, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana. Electronic address: dokoh@us.es.
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Kpeglo
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics II, E.T.S.A., University of Seville, Seville, Spain; Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Salhgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mantero
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P. O. Box LG80, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Darko
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P. O. Box LG80, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Emi-Reynolds
authors.affiliation: Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P. O. Box LG80, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faanu
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics II, E.T.S.A., University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manjón
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics II, E.T.S.A., University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vioque
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box AE1, Kwabenya, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: E H K
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Akaho
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics II, E.T.S.A., University of Seville, Seville, Spain; Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garcia-Tenorio
mesh_terms: D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D005869:Ghana; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields; D000066388:Oil and Gas Industry; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011883:Radium; D062065:Wastewater; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive
keywords: Anions; Cations; NORM; Oil industry; Produced water; Trace elements