MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION OF INSIDE AND OUTSIDE RADIATION LEVELS AT THE TAKE-OFF SITE

MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION OF INSIDE AND OUTSIDE RADIATION LEVELS AT THE TAKE-OFF SITE

Background of study

Radiation refers to any sort of energy that may be transmitted as rays, waves, or a stream of particles. Radiation can be either ionizing or nonionizing. Ionizing radiation is more dangerous than non-ionizing radiation because it causes ionization to occur whenever it travels through materials (IAEA, 1986). Ionizing radiation is a specific kind of radiation that can generate ions that are capable of interfering with many processes that are essential to life. Although non-ionizing radiations are incapable of producing ions, there is still a possibility that they might be harmful to human health in other ways (Ajayi, & Adesida, 2021). We live in a setting where we are exposed to certain amounts of background radiation on a daily basis. This background radiation may come from natural sources (such as radon gas, soil, or granite rocks) or artificial sources (such as x-ray machines, building materials, or radioactive wastes from reactors, etc.) in the environment, and the level of radiation varies from one location to the next. Radon gas is an example of a natural source of background radiation (Farai and Vincent, 2006). The source of natural radiation in the environment that has the highest concentration is radon gas, which comes from the earth's crust (Al Mugren, 2021). 222Rn is produced as a byproduct of the radioactive breakdown of uranium-238, and its half-life is calculated to be 3.82 days (Masok et al., 2015). When it is breathed, it travels into the lungs, and the constant deposition and penetration of such high-energy particles via the lungs causes tissue damage and mutation, which in turn leads to the development of lung cancer (Antonio, Poston & Rathbone 2021).

(Chad-Umoren et al., 2007; Maria et al., 2010). Other sources of natural radiation include radionuclides in the soil, cosmic radiation caused by the ionization of gases in the atmosphere, and natural radioactivity caused by radionuclides in the body. Radionuclides may also be found in the body (Osiga, 2014 and James et al., 2015). The materials that are used in the construction of buildings are also major sources of indoor radiation exposure for humans. Meanwhile, natural radioactivity in the soil is primarily caused by 238U, 40K, and 226Ra, which causes both an external and an internal radiological hazard from the consumption of crops grown on such soil (UNSCEAR, 1988). In general, larger levels of ionizing radiation constitute a threat to human health when they are absorbed by people. These higher doses can cause a variety of health problems, including cancer, tumors, organ and tissue damage, sterility or infertility, genetic mutations, and other conditions (Jwanbot et al., 2014).

In 1990, the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) established a worldwide annual equivalent dose rate limit of exposure to ionizing radiation for the protection of human beings and wildlife (ICRP, 1990). At the same time, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiations (UNSCEAR) established an average effective dose rate limit of 2.4 for the majority of indoor facilities such as research laboratories, conference halls, lecture venues, offices, and other similar places (UNSCEAR, 2000). The number of hours that inhabitants spend inside is more than the number of hours or activities that they undertake outside, according to the findings of the researchers who conducted the study (Ajayi, & Adesida, 2021). According to Ononugbo et al. (2015), the amount of time that people spend engaged in outdoor activities totals roughly 5 to 6 hours per day, while the other 18 to 19 hours of the day are spent indoors doing things like sleeping, learning, resting, and the like (Al Mugren, 2021). As a result, the radiation that is present indoors in an environment is not the same as what is present outside. According to Masashi et al. (2014), the exposure of residents to radiations is measured by making use of a reduction coefficient for the amounts of radiation present in homes and other structures. The reduction coefficient is the ratio of indoor and outside ambient dose equivalent rates that is used for determining indoor exposure doses. This information is given by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (IAEA, 1986). As a result of the fact that radiation's presence in our living environment might have negative effects on one's health, it is essential to have this information (Antonio, Poston & Rathbone 2021). Because of the fact that being exposed to high doses of ionizing radiation can have a negative impact on human life, researchers in a wide variety of settings have focused a great deal of their attention on conducting studies to determine the amount of radiation to which people are subjected and to offer advice.

Tyovenda et al. (2011) evaluated the levels of indoor and outdoor ambient radiation at the University of Mkar from a variety of locations. The results they obtained showed a safe level in most locations of the indoor and outdoor facilities, with the exception of the granite paved road way outside the school gate, where the levels of radiation exceeded the limits of 1 mSv/yr that were established by the International Commission on Radiology Protection. According to Sadiq and Agba (2012), the mean outdoor and indoor radiation levels at the Nassarawa State University Keffi were in the range of 0.25 and 1.08 respectively. These values were in excellent approximation with the internationally accepted yearly dosage limits for members of the public (1). Masok et al. (2015) evaluated the background ionizing radiation sources in the biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, and physics laboratories at Plateau State University, Bokkos. The researchers used a gammascout that was calibrated to detect alpha, beta, and gamma radiation in order to determine the radiation levels within the laboratories as well as the environments surrounding them. According to their findings, the mean equivalent dose rate per hour for indoor background radiation in the labs was determined to be 0.256, while the rate for background radiation outside was 0.249. (Ajayi, & Adesida, 2021). The average yearly equivalent dose rate of the laboratories was then estimated to be 1.54 for the indoor background radiation level and 0.44 for the outdoor background radiation level correspondingly. These results are a significant amount lower than the worldwide average dose of 2.4. Using gamma scout, Jwanbot et al. (2012) assessed the background ionizing radiation profile within the Chemistry research laboratory and Physics Laboratory III of the University of Jos, as well as the near surroundings of these two laboratories (model GS2 with serial number A20). In the Chemistry research laboratory, the indoor and outdoor radiation levels were measured at 2.111 and 2.081 respectively, and in the Physics laboratory III, the indoor and outdoor ambient radiation levels were measured at 2.733 and 2.435 respectively. The results of the radiation level measurements were presented in the table below (Al Mugren, 2021). Because these research labs are also home to a number of active radiation sources, they were able to acquire high results that were nevertheless lower than the global average effective dose rate limit of 2.4.

Ushie et al. (2016) conducted an investigation to determine the degree of exposure to background radiation released by labs at Cross-River University of Technology (CRUTECH) in Calabar, Nigeria, in more recent times. The obtained result indicates that the workers and students operating in the Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Microbiology laboratories were operating within the recommended safety limit of 1.0. On the other hand, those operating in the Biochemistry laboratory, as well as the Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical engineering workshops, were operating at 11.6, 10.23, 9.53, and 8.83 respectively, which is significantly above the threshold value. Similarly, Abubakar et al. (2017) conducted a study at the Asaba Federal Medical Center (FMC) to evaluate the indoor radiation profile of the center's radiology department. They discovered that the Mean Indoor Post Exposure (MIPE) was, which deduced that the radiation level was maintained within the permissible radiation limit as specified by the ICRP and UNSCEAR of 1, thereby confirming that the radiological Department of FMC Asaba was free from unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation. 

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