Radiological Risk Estimates Due to Background Exposures in Selected Hospitals in South – East Nigeria
Journal Title: Archives of Current Research International - Year 2017, Vol 8, Issue 1
Abstract
Radiation is present everywhere on the Earth and humans are exposed to it without being aware of it. Exposure to natural ionizing radiation is inevitable as long as we live on Earth. An in-situ measurement of indoor and outdoor exposure dose rates of Federal Medical Center Umuahia (FMC Umuahia) and Federal Medical Center Owerri (FMC Owerri) were measured with well calibrated radiation meters (Radalert-100 and Digilert-200). The average indoor and outdoor exposure rates for Federal Medical Center Umuahia were 0.014±0.003 and 0.014±0.003 mRh-1, while that for Federal Medical Center Owerri were 0.012±0.002 mRh-1 and 0.013±0.002 mRh-1. The values show that the exposure rates for Federal Medical Center Owerri is within the range of the World threshold value of 0.013 mRh-1, while that of FMC Umuahia is higher. The average indoor and outdoor absorbed dose rate measured at federal medical centre (FMC) Owerri are 106.7 and 104.7 nGyh-1 respectively while the average indoor and outdoor absorbed dose for Federal medical center (FMC) Umuahia are 120.1 and 116.8 nGyh-1 respectively. These values exceeded the world average of 89 nGyh-1. Also the results for average excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) calculated for indoor and outdoor for the hospitals show that ELCR for both indoor and outdoor exposures were all higher than the world acceptable value of 0.29x10-3, but the annual effective dose levels for the hospitals both indoor and outdoor were all below the 1 mSvy-1 maximum permissible limit for the public set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Therefore there is need for the management of the hospitals to monitor radiation levels in other to take necessary precautions to avoid radiation levels getting to unacceptable levels.
Authors and Affiliations
I. E. Nwokeoji, G. O. Avwiri
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP320161
- DOI 10.9734/ACRI/2017/34244
- Views 100
- Downloads 0
Phytochemical Screening of the Ethanol and Aqueous Extracts of Dicliptera verticillata Leaves
Dicliptera verticillata is an underutilized medicinal plant that grows in Akwa Ibom State South-South Nigeria. Ethanol and aqueous extracts of the leaves are sometimes used for the treatment of malaria. The phytochemical...
Green Sustainable NYSE Companies: Trading the Offerings
Trading should be regarded as a chaotic system with many benchmarked group of companies (e.g. green sustainable firms), company initiatives (e.g. NYSE equity offerings: IPOs), and temporally dynamics functions supported...
Effect of Cowdung Compost Manure Rates of Application on the Growth and Leaf Yield of Spider Plant (Cleome gynandra L. Briq) in Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria
Aim: The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the influence of different cowdung manure rates of application on growth and leaf yield performance of spider plant (Cleone gynandra L.). Study Design: The experiment was la...
Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Cassava Green Mite, Mononychellus tanajoa Bonder (Acarina: Tetranychidae) in Tanzania
Two diagnostic surveys were conducted during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons in three major cassava growing zones of Tanzania. The studies aimed at establishing the spatial and temporal distribution of M. tanajoa on co...
High-quality Learning: Harder to Achieve Than We Think: A Multicenter Study on Attitudes towards Research among Students
There has been a recorded decrease in the volume of research students who are ready to be Medical researchers in life. Various scientific-based departments have conveyed their worry about career deterioration that lacks...