Population Doses from Gamma Radiation Exposure around Damaturu Metropolis, Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Humans are exposed to radiation in their environment with or without their consent; and the exposure to natural background radiation is an unpreventable event on  earth. Exposure to terrestrial   background   gamma   radiation in Damaturu   metropolis   was   measured   in   65  locations  using  a  hand  held  radiation  survey  meter (RDS-31). The gamma absorbed dose rate in air 1 m above ground surface ranged from 5 to 165 nGy h⁻¹ with a mean value of 56±5 nGy h⁻¹.The study results revealed that, higher dose ratesare located around the main roads within the city. The mean value was found to be within the set limit   by   UNSCEAR   for   normal  background radiation. Thus, the dose  rates are classified  as  low radiation level  and  are  below the  level  to  cause acute health effects in humans. The results obtained would serve as baseline data for further studies on background radiation in the study area.