Occurrence of natural radionuclides and fallout cesium-137 in dry-season agricultural land of South Western Nigeria

Citation
Mk. Fasasi et al., Occurrence of natural radionuclides and fallout cesium-137 in dry-season agricultural land of South Western Nigeria, J RAD NUCL, 240(3), 1999, pp. 949-952
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry
Journal title
JOURNAL OF RADIOANALYTICAL AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
ISSN journal
02365731 → ACNP
Volume
240
Issue
3
Year of publication
1999
Pages
949 - 952
Database
ISI
SICI code
0236-5731(199906)240:3<949:OONRAF>2.0.ZU;2-W
Abstract
The radioactivity of the Opa river - irrigated farmlands in the south weste rn Nigeria was determined using an HpGe based, low-level passive gamma-coun ting system. With the exception of two isotopes, the main radionuclides ana lysed in the sample were the progenies of U-238 and Th-232. The other two i sotopes were the naturally occurring K-40 and the anthropogenic Cs-137. Th, result obtained showed elevated levels of radioactivity from all detected radionuclides compared to the published data for this area. Enhanced levels of naturally occurring radionuclides is attributed to the use of phosphati c fertilizers for dry season vegetable cultivation along this river banks. The presence of the fission product Cs-137 could be traced to the fallouts occasioned by the various French nuclear tests in the Sahara desert, and pr obably, some effect of the more recent nuclear reactor accident at Chernoby l in 1986.