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Assessment of natural radioactivity and associated radiation hazards in sand building material used in Douala Littoral Region of Cameroon, using gamma spectrometry

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Abstract

Twenty-four sand samples were collected from different sand quarries from Douala Littoral Region (Wouri, Dibamba, Mungo and Docteur Anse rivers and Atlantic Sea) along the Guinea Golf. These samples were investigated using gamma-ray spectrometry system. Highest values of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K measured specific activities expressed in Bq Kg−1 units were, respectively, 146.7 (in Youpoue–Bamenda 2) 102.9 (in Village 1) and 928 (in Northern Akwa 6) while the lowest values were found to be, respectively, 11.8 (in Northern Akwa 6), 8.0 (in Bonaberi–Bonamikano 4) and 54.0 (Youpoue 3). The potential radiological hazards parameters were assessed by calculating successively radium equivalent activity (Raeq), outdoor absorbed gamma dose rate (D out), annual effective dose rate, internal hazard (H in) and external hazard (H ex) indices and alpha and gamma index from using those sand in the construction of dwellings and large buildings. Results obtained show that annual dose absorbed by inhabitants due to sand construction use in Douala is below 1.0 mSv year−1. Therefore, most of the types of sands studied and incorporated in constructions appear to be safe as building material. The outputs from this research will be useful to assess the radiation hazards of sand building material in humans and to initiate a sand database together with a radiological map of the area at stake.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the support and technical cooperation provided by the IPNAS of the University of Liege (Belgium) in granting access to all the facilities and equipment needed to successfully complete this survey. The authors also appreciate the community of sandblasters from Douala Littoral Region in Cameroon for the understanding during sampling period; they also wish to thank Aymeric Hoolsbeek, Saïd Raakka and Mathieu Clar technicians from the “Institut de Physique Nucléaire” for their precious help, understanding and availability to direct us during computing period. The authors would also like to extend their gratitude to the reviewers and editors for their criticisms and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atomic and Nuclear Spectroscopy, Archeometry, University of Liege, Sart Tilman Bat. B15, 4000, Liège 1, Belgium

    Cébastien Joël Guembou Shouop, Grégoire Chene, Ousmanou Motapon & David Strivay

  2. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, P.O. Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon

    Cébastien Joël Guembou Shouop, Maurice Ndontchueng Moyo, Eric Jilbert Nguelem Mekontso & Steve Arnold Kayo

  3. National Radiation Protection Agency, P.O. Box 33732, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Maurice Ndontchueng Moyo & Eric Jilbert Nguelem Mekontso

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  1. Cébastien Joël Guembou Shouop
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  2. Maurice Ndontchueng Moyo
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  3. Grégoire Chene
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Correspondence to Cébastien Joël Guembou Shouop.

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Guembou Shouop, C.J., Ndontchueng Moyo, M., Chene, G. et al. Assessment of natural radioactivity and associated radiation hazards in sand building material used in Douala Littoral Region of Cameroon, using gamma spectrometry. Environ Earth Sci 76, 164 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6474-3

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