NATURALLY OCCURING RADIONUCLIDE BIOACCUMULATION IN RICE AND SWEET POTETO SAMPLES FROM SELECTED FARMLANDS IN KEBBI STATE.
Abstract:
This study investigates the bioaccumulation of natural radionuclides in rice and sweet potato samples collected from selected farmlands in Kebbi State. Ten (10) samples of rice and five (5) samples of sweet potatoes were obtained from fifteen (15) different farmlands and subjected to Gamma-ray spectroscopy using Nal(Tl) detector. The activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in soil samples from rice farms ranged from 10.19±0.5 to 19.56±1.98, 13.58±0.43 to 32.77±3.02, and 205.32±4.73 to 512.25±36.51 Bqkg-1, respectively, with mean values of 14.42±1.31, 20.11±2.28, and 336.90±17.11 Bqkg-1, respectively. Similarly, the activity range for soils from sweet potato farms varied from 5.76±1.09 to 15.41±2.36, 9.28±1.34 to 24.28±2.34, and 220.55±7.773 to 431.32±22.65 Bqkg-1, respectively, with average values of 12.32±1.7, 17.43±1.95, and 309.17±13.42 Bqkg-1, respectively, for 238U, 232Th, and 40K. These values were found to be lower than the world average values of 30, 35, and 400 Bqkg-1, respectively, for 238U, 232Th, and 40K in soil as provided by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Furthermore, the activity concentration in rice samples ranged from 0.95±0.02 to 3.96±0.63, 4.73±0.15 to 8.65±0.77, and 60.77±1.09 to 125.59±2.72 Bqkg-1, with mean values of 2.81±0.21, 6.22±0.42, and 84.27±1.69 Bqkg-1, respectively. Similarly, the activity range in sweet potato samples varied from 0.18±0.03 to 1.79±0.09, 1.01±0.14 to 5.29±0.41, and 81.55±0.15 to 203.48±2.22 Bqkg-1, respectively, with average values of 0.93±0.06, 3.89±0.27, and 116.92±1.32 Bqkg-1, respectively. The mean transfer factor (TF) for 238U, 232Th, and 40K in rice samples were 0.18, 0.33, and 0.26, respectively, while in sweet potato samples, the TF values for 238U, 232Th, and 40K were 0.59, 0.19, and 0.32, respectively. The computed TF of natural radionuclides in the crops were found to be lower than unity, indicating that the bioaccumulation of 238U, 232Th, and 40K is insignificant. Therefore, the considered crops do not pose a radiotoxicity risk to consumers.
NATURALLY OCCURING RADIONUCLIDE BIOACCUMULATION IN RICE AND SWEET POTETO SAMPLES FROM SELECTED FARMLANDS IN KEBBI STATE. GET MORE, ACTUARIAL SCIENCE PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS