Distribution of Radionuclide Concentration with Proximity to the Lagoon in Lagos State, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

The radioactivity of Lagos State in the Southwestern Nigeria was determined using an HpGe based, low level passive gamma-counting system. The main radinouclides analyzed in the samples were the progenies of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th. The other two isotopes were the naturally occurring ⁴⁰K and the anthropogenic ¹³⁷Cs. The results of the study showed that the average specific activity concentration of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K have consistent values with published data for many other countries in the world. The presence of the fission product ¹³⁷Cs could be traced to the fallout of the nuclear tests in the Sahara desert and probably, some effects of the more recent nuclear reactor accident at Chernobyl in 1986.

Keyword: radionuclide, concentration, radioactivity, contamination, soil