Radioactivity distributions and biohazard assessment of coastal marine environments of niger-delta, Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Unumherin community in Nigeria’s Niger Delta is home to coastal marine polluted zones, and this research examines the radioactivity distributions and biohazard in the coastal environment. The activity concentrations of 40K, 238U, 232Th, as well as the outdoor dose rate of contaminated coastlines were measured using a calibrated RS-125 Gamma-Spec and a NaI(Tl) gamma-detector. The laboratory examination of sediments, water, and fish from the same coastal region – Clarias gariepinus Pseudotropheus elongated Oreochromis niloticus and Stromateus fiatola – was combined with the in-situ observations of gamma dose rates. With a value of [Formula: see text], the hotspot at site 4 is shown by the geographic distribution of gamma dose rates. The findings showed that the activities of the primordial radionuclides varied, with average values for the sediments and water exceeding suggested limits. Similarly, the corresponding mean hazard indices mostly exceeds the allowable limits. The species specificity of the fish species accounts for the variation in the mean concentrations of 40K, 238U and 232Th. C. gariepinus, having accumulated higher concentrations of 40K and 238U, may be the first to elicit health hazards in the future if pollution continues unmonitored. Hence, continuous monitoring of the aquatic environment alongside is highly recommended.

Keywords

• Radioactivity
• microbial interaction
• bioaccumulation
• pollution
• niger delta