Comparative Assessment of Radioactivity Concentration in Sweet Potatoes from Different Geopolitical Zones of Nigeria
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IEEE
Abstract
Evaluation of the specific activity of
radioactivity in tubers is an important tool in the assessment
of human internal exposure to radiation through ingestion.
In this research, the activity concentrations of natural
radionuclides 40 K, 238 U and 232 Th in sweet potato samples
taken from different farm lands in the six geopolitical zones
of Nigeria were determined by means of gamma spectrometry.
Using standard calibrated NaI (TI) and shielded detector
coupled to a computer resident quantum MCA2100R
Multichannel analyzer for 36,000 s. The activities were
estimated to be 526.39±51.40, 8.55±1.76 and 1.14±0.42 Bq/kg
respectively for 40 K, 238 U and 232 Th. The estimated daily
intake through potato diet are 6.6622, 4.6860, 4.6748,
2.75103, 2.7453, and 2.3983 Bq.d–1
for South-East (Abia),
South-South(Edo), South-West(Oyo), North-Central
(Kwara), North-West (Sokoto), and North-East (Adamawa)
respectively.. Findings showed that potato plants uptake and
transport radionuclides from the soil by the root system. It
also showed that 40 K is the most radionuclides contaminant
presents in the farm soil where the potato plants were grown.
The daily intake of radionuclides was also observed to be
highest in 40 K. This may be due to the use of phosphate rich
fertilizer in the farmlands where they were grown. The
overview of the research showed that the annual effective
doses due to potato diet, at this present rate, pose no
significant threat to the public.