International Journal of Recent Research In Physics and Chemical Sciences

Pahalson C. A. D, Habila N, Joshua G. D

Vol 8 Issue 1 April 2021-September 2021

MEASUREMENT OF GROSS ALPHA (α) AND BETA (β) RADIOACTIVITY IN BORE HOLES AND WELL WATER IN JOS CITY CENTER

Download Complete Paper

Abstract

Abstract: A study of the - radioactivity in drinking water from boreholes and well water from Jos city center Plateau State, Nigeria were selected using a stratified random sampling has been carried out. Forty (40) water samples were analyzed by MPC 2000 DP (Monitor Proportional Counter) detector. The result shows that the range of alpha activity range from 0.740 0.03Bq/l – 0.051 0.04 Bq/l, with a geometric mean of 0.27245 0.01855 Bq/l for Boreholes water samples and 0.90 0.013Bq/l – 0.0212 0.011Bq/l with a geometric mean of 0.316005 0.01935Bq/l for well water. While the range of beta activity varied between 5.0352 0.02 Bq/l – 0.081 0.02 Bq/l, with a geometric mean of 1.28614 0.0186 Bq/l and 2.09 0.03Bq/l – 0.036 0.01 Bq/l, with a geometric mean of 0.52165 0.0184Bq/l for Boreholes water and well water samples respectively. The study results reveal that; the groundwater in the study area, most of the data points, and all average measurement outcomes turned out to be inside the allowed values given by organizations like WHO, USEPA, and UNSCEAR even though some of the individual parameters showed slightly over the world average desired values. The annual effective doses of alpha radionuclide ranged from 0.002mSv to 0.151mSv with a mean value of 0.055 mSv and beta radionuclide ranges from 0.017mSv to 0.620 mSv with a mean value of 0.260 mSv for boreholes water. The annual effective doses of alpha radionuclide ranged from 0.004mSv to 0.164mSv with a mean value 0.067mSv and beta radionuclide ranges from 0.010 mSv to 0.427 mSv with a mean value of 0.107 for the well water. Thus, the values obtained when compared with their corresponding world permissible values were found to be below the standard limits. The results from models that have been detected and put in the evaluation refer that the water of Jos city center is safe to drink.