Speaker
Description
Radon is an odourless, colourless and tasteless noble gas which is highly radioactive in nature. It is of great concern because it poses a huge risk to man when inhaled and ingested. This study aims to quantify the concentration of Rn-222 in groundwater samples obtained from sources around artisanal gold and gemstone mining communities located in Southwest Nigeria and assess the lifetime cancer risks due to consumption, through both the deterministic and Monte Carlo probabilistic methods. A total of fifty (50) water samples were collected from different groundwater sources and investigated for radon concentration with the aid a Durridge RAD7 detector with RAD H2O accessories. The activity concentration of Rn-222 varied from 0.44 to 117 Bq/L with an average value of 13.8 Bq/L in the groundwater samples. The average value obtained exceeds the safety standard specified by the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This portrays a significant health risk to populace depending on the groundwater sources for domestic purposes. The result of this investigation can be applied as baseline data for radon concentration measurement in groundwater from artisanal mining locations within Southwest Nigeria.