Briggs-Kamara, Margaret A and Bijimi, Ashia G
Keywords: Gamma spectroscopy and activity concentration, domestic water supply, boreholes, radio nuclides, health, trace elements.
Abstract: An assessment of the distribution of radionuclides and their activity concentrations in Borehole water was carried out. Fifty (50) samples were collected from selected sites in Bwari town of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. A well-calibrated Sodium-Iodide Thallium doped (NaI(Tl)) Detector was used to obtain the activity concentrations of 40K, 238U and 232Th. The results for 40K ranged from 7.00 ± 0.73 to 266.43 ± 20.06 Bq.l-1 with an average of 95.57 ± 8.42 Bq.l- 1. The results for 238U ranged from 0.89 ± 0.24 to 31.61 ± 5.12 Bq.l-1 with an average of 9.67 ± 1.86 Bq.l-1. The results for 232Th ranged from 0.24 ± 0.02 to 15.86 ± 1.23 Bq.l -1 with an average of 7.12 ± 0.64 Bq.l -1. Results calculated for the committed effective doses show that the average combined contributions to a year\\\\\\\'s consumption of drinking water in the study area was less than the ICRP’s recommended limit of 1 mSv.y-1 . However, four out of the ten locations had values that were slightly higher. Consequently, it is recommended that Government should undertake to supply safe drinking water to those locations. In addition assessment of water supply from hand-dug wells and streams should be investigated.
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