Radionuclide Transfer Ratio from Soil to Crops in Selected Fertilized Farms and Estimation of Its Health Risk in Rivers State of Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out to investigate the transfer ratio of radionuclide from soil to crops of the selected fertilized farmers in Rivers State Nigeria. Using a well calibrated sodium iodide (NaI) detector. The activity concentrations of 40K, 234U, and 232Th in crops and soils of the selected fertilized farmers of Rivers State have been determined. The activity concentration of radionuclides of 40K, 234U, and 232Th were all higher than its respective control values, which show that the fertilized farms contain more radionuclide than the unfertilized farms(control) and this may be due to the long use of inorganic fertilizers during cultivation on the selected Agricultural Development programme farms (Fertilized Farms). This variation may be due to differences in organic matter, soil content and type of soil of the selected farms. The mean transfer factor obtained is of the order 234U < 232TH < 40K which shows that activity concentration of natural radio isotopes within the study area are high and also the rate at which the radionuclides are transfer from soil to crops is also high. The result obtained show that there is high transfer ratio of radionuclide from soil to crops of the selected fertilized farms and this requires that the uses of NPK fertilizers should be under radiological control for consumption safety.