Radiological Assessment of Exposure to Background Ionizing Radiation in Ogbomoso South Local Government, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The radiological evaluation of rural areas in developing countries is frequently overlooked due to the assumption of minimal radiation risk and low levels of industrialization. This research aims to fill this gap by assessing the background radiation level in Ogbomoso South Local Government, Oyo State, Nigeria, and estimating the radiological risks. One thousand sampling locations were randomly selected across the ten administrative wards of the study area, and the radiation level was examined using a dosimeter. The recorded dose rates varied between 0.09 and 0.17 μSvh-1, with an overall mean of 0.13 μSvh-1. This average is 48.2% lower than the global mean of 0.27 µSvh-1. The estimated annual effective dose equivalent ranged from 0.15 to 0.30 mSvy-1, with an average of 0.23 mSvy-1, which is 23.1% below the acceptable limit of 1 mSvy-1. The study shows that the current levels of radiation exposure do not present a significant radiological threat. It recommends establishing a regular monitoring program to observe changes over time, with this data serving as a baseline for Ogbomoso South Local Government.