The impact of radionuclides on water consumption in some water samples in the Ashanti Region, Ghana.

Abstract

Objective: The primary aim of this study is to assess the presence of natural radionuclides in water samples from selected towns in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The study further aims to measure the physical parameters, determine the activity concentration of radionuclides, compute the annual committed effective dose, and assess cancer risk. Methods: The study utilizes gamma spectrometry with a high-purity germanium detector at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. The samples were taken from 5 major rivers and 25 mechanized boreholes selected from 5 Colleges of Education and 21 Senior High Schools in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Results: The average activity concentrations were 1.31, 0.65, and 6.72 Bq/L for borehole water, and 1.42, 0.83, and 10.32 Bq/L for surface water, respectively. The average annual committed doses were estimated for the various age groups, less than 1, 1-2, 2-7, 7-12, 12-17, and above 17 years as 2,194, 254, 185.96, 164.68, 22.40, 232.40 μS/y and 1,825, 171, 130, 118, 168, 169 μS/y for surface water and borehole, respectively. Implication: The results suggest continuous monitoring for early detection of any threat to radiological health hazards in the communities under study.