Browsing by Author "Akortia, E."
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Geological interactions and radio‑chemical risks of primordial radionuclides 40K, 226Ra, and 232Th in soil and groundwater from potential radioactive waste disposal site in Ghana(Springer, 2021) Akortia, E.; Glover, E.T.; Nyarku, M.; Dawood, A.M.A.; Essel, P.; Sarfo, E.O.; Ameho, E.M.; Aberikae, E.A.; Gbeddy, G.This study assessed the infuence of geological depth and formation on activity concentrations of 232Th, 226Ra and 40K in soil and groundwater, and radio-chemical health risks. Preference ranking organisation method for enrichment evaluation and geometrical analysis for interactive aid indicated signifcant correlation between 232Th and 40K, thus indicating potential similar primordial origin. Deepest depth rocks at 145 m and 148 m constituted of dark coloured silicifed schist exhibited minimal activity with potential hydro-geological interactions with groundwater. Age-dependent annual efective ingestion dose for 226Ra and 232Th are higher than the UNSCEAR reference dose, thus the groundwater is unsuitable for long-term consumption.Item Indoor radon gas levels in selected homes in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana(Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, 2010-12) Akortia, E.; Oppon, O.C.; Serfor-Armah, Y.The aim of the study is to monitor indoor radon gas levels in dwellings in the Sakumono Estates and its environs in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana in order to assess the risk of exposure to the inhabitants, using the passive Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs). The sampling and deployment of the detectors covered the predominant mode of dwelling structures, which are the flats, semi-detached, detached and cluster houses. The mean Radon concentration obtained was 10.18 Bq/m3, with an annual effective dose equivalent to the population determined to be 0.22 mSv/yr, assuming an occupancy factor of 0.5 for the modern estate dwellings and 0.3 for the cluster ("compound type") houses. The maximum recorded concentration was 18.60 Bq/m3 in a semi-detached building, followed by a concentration of 18.05 Bq/m3, recorded in a flat located on the ground floor. The annual effective dose equivalent to each type of housing unit has been calculated and given as 0.25 mSv/yr for flats, 0.25 mSv/yr for semi-detached houses, 0.23 mSv/yr for detached and 0.15 mSv/yr for the cluster houses. The Radon gas levels obtained may not pose any appreciable risk to the inhabitants on the basis that the levels were low. The excess life time risk of any member of the group suffering from Radon gas induced lung cancer is approximately 0.02%. The Radon gas levels were cross-checked with an active dosimeter (Radon Scout Plus) and an average concentration of 10 Bq/m3 was obtained. Mean values for flats, semi-detached, detached and cluster houses were 9.33, 10.86, 9.30 and 9.30 Bq/m3 with medians of 7.87, 9.86, 9.27 and 9.29 Bq/m3, respectively. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2010.Item Influence of particle size and total organic carbon on the distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in landfill soils: assessment of exposure implications(Journal of Analytical Science and Technology, 2019-05-30) Akortia, E.; Lupankwa, M.; Okonkwo, J.O.Background: The selection of soil fraction is an important influencing factor to accurately determine human exposure risk to toxic chemicals in the environment. The present study evaluated the concentrations of prevalent polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in different size fractions of soil from a landfill site and the factors that influence their distribution in the soils. Method: Samples were fractionated into size fractions; between 150–250 and 45–150 μm (after initial sieving through a 250 μm sieve) and, thereafter, PBDEs were extracted using a mixture of toluene-dichloromethane and subsequently cleaned with a multilayer silica gel/Pesticarb/sodium sulphate column and analysed using GC-MS. Results: The sum of seven PBDE congeners (BDE-28, -47, -100, -99, -154, -153 and -183) ranged from 7.08 to 10.8 ng g−1 with a total median of 7.32 ng g−1, and from 7.00 to 8.77 ng g−1 with a total median of 7.21 ng g−1, corresponding to size fractions 150–250 μm and 45–150 μm, respectively. BDE-183 was predominant in both soil fractions. A significant correlation was observed between Σ7PBDEs concentrations and total organic carbon (TOC), particularly for particle size 150–250 μm (r2 = 0.829, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study revealed that PBDE concentrations did not automatically increase with decreasing particle size, and as such, PBDE-treated consumer goods and consequent abrasions of flame retardant-containing materials could be likely sources. The study also clarified that selecting soil fractions arbitrarily for exposure risk assessment may lead to inconclusive results. The study results, therefore, have important inferences for estimating flame retardant chemical exposure.