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Distribution of natural and artificial radioactivity in soils, water and tuber crops

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Abstract

Activity concentrations of radionuclides in water, soil and tuber crops of a major food-producing area in Ghana were investigated. The average gross alpha and beta activities were 0.021 and 0.094 Bq/L, respectively, and are below the guidelines for drinking water and therefore not expected to pose any significant health risk. The average annual effective dose due to ingestion of radionuclide in water ranged from 20.08 to 53.45 μSv/year. The average activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in the soil from different farmlands in the study area was 23.19, 31.10, 143.78 and 2.88 Bq/kg, respectively, which is lower than world averages. The determined absorbed dose rate for the farmlands ranged from 23.63 to 50.51 nGy/year, which is within worldwide range of 18 to 93 nGy/year. The activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in cassava ranges from 0.38 to 6.73, 1.82 to 10.32, 17.65 to 41.01 and 0.38 to 1.02 Bq/kg, respectively. Additionally, the activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in yam also ranges from 0.47 to 4.89, 0.93 to 5.03, 14.19 to 35.07 and 0.34 to 0.89 Bq/kg, respectively. The average concentration ratio for 238U, 232Th and 40K in yam was 0.12, 0.11 and 0.17, respectively, and in cassava was 0.11, 0.12 and 0.2, respectively. None of the radioactivity is expected to cause significant health problems to human beings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

    Godfred Darko, Osei Akoto, Akwasi Acheampong, Eric Jude Goode & Opoku Gyamfi

  2. Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Accra, Ghana

    Augustine Faanu

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  1. Godfred Darko
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  2. Augustine Faanu
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  3. Osei Akoto
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  6. Opoku Gyamfi
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Correspondence to Godfred Darko.

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Darko, G., Faanu, A., Akoto, O. et al. Distribution of natural and artificial radioactivity in soils, water and tuber crops. Environ Monit Assess 187, 339 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4580-9

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