Radon emanation and heavy-metals assessment of historical warm and cold springs in Nigeria using different matrices

Abstract

Abstract Background In recent years, attention has been drawn to radon gas as main risk factor for lung cancer. Radon is colourless, odourless and tasteless radioactive noble gas. To mitigate radon effects, water consume by populace needs to be conserved. Radon concentration in water and heavy metals concentrations in sediment samples from historical cold and warm springs at Ikogosi were determined using Durridge RAD-7 analyzer with RAD H2O accessory and atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results The mean activity concentration of radon in water samples ranged from 0.07 to 0.36 with overall mean value 0.20 Bq L−1, 35–210 with an overall mean value 75.9 Bq L−1 and 11.7–140.0 with an overall mean 79.4 Bq L−1 for bottled, cold and warm water samples respectively. The calculated total effective dose values were below 100 µSv year−1 recommended by WHO. The result of elemental analysis showed that the mean values of metals concentrations were Pb (2.9–11.8 mg kg−1), Cu (3.8–12.8 mg kg−1), Fe (945.0–2010.0 mg kg−1), Cd (0.6–1.7 mg kg−1) and Ni (0.3–2.6 mg kg−1). Conclusions The results revealed values not higher than recommended permissible limit and background values. The pollution load index, revealed that the overall contamination of metals indicated no significant pollution in all the studied samples.

Keywords

• Dose
• Enrichment factor
• Geoaccumulation index
• Heavy-metals
• Pollution index
• Radon