Investigation of the Radiological Risk of Farmlands and the Transfer Factor from Soil to Crops in Jalingo and Wukari L.G.A of Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

The activity concentrations of radionuclides, absorbed dose rate, excess lifetime cancer risk, and soil-to-plant transfer factor have been evaluated in soil and crop samples from Jalingo and Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria. The activity concentrations were determined with the aid of High Purity Germanium detector. The absorbed dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were evaluated and forecasted for 60 years using the ResRad off-site model. The average activity concentration of 40 K, 232 Th, and 238 U in the soil samples were 633.13, 141.15, and 71.20 Bq∙kg −1 respectively, for the Jalingo study area, and while that of the Wukari study area was; 199.21, 87.23, and 25.37 Bq∙kg −1 respectively. The average soil-to-plant transfer factors for 40 K, 232 Th, and 238 U were 0.51, 0.10, and 0.27 respectively for the Jalingo study area while that of Wukari are 0.40, 0.57, and 0.74 respectively. The mean annual effective dose equivalent for the study area is higher than the world average of 0.07 mS∙vy −1 . The excess lifetime cancer risk for the study areas has values that are higher than the safety limit. The ResRed model showed that direct radiation from the crops is the major contributor to excess cancer risk among other pathways. The radiological hazard indices reveal health risks to farmers, especially in the Jalingo area.