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Radiological Implication of 222Rn Concentrations in Waters from Quarries Environs, Correlation with 226Ra Concentrations and Rocks Geochemistry

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Abstract

Radon concentration in ground and surface waters collected from the environs of quarries was assessed using advanced Durridge RAD-7 analyser with RAD H2O accessory. Mean radon concentration varied from 55.41 to 104.45 Bq l−1 and 61.48 to 119.71 Bq l−1 for boreholes and wells waters samples. The average radon activities ranged from 47.31 to 111.90 Bq l−1 and 42.22 to 88.22 Bq l−1 for ponds and streams, respectively. The majority of the sources investigated (82%) showed mean radon values below the World Health Organization (WHO) maximum contaminant level of 100 Bq l−1. All the water samples (100%) exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level of 11.1 Bq l−1 and 4–40 Bq l−1 prescribed by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). Gamma spectrometry quantitative assessment of radioelements revealed the weighted mean concentration range of 105.88 (migmatite) to 612.64 Bq kg−1 (migmatite), 10.32 (migmatite) to 67.23 Bq kg−1 (porphyritic granite), and 10.02 (migmatite) to 79.18 Bq kg−1 (porphyritic granite) for 40K, 238U(226Ra), and 232Th, respectively. However, it was observed that high values of 222Rn concentrations in water are associated with low activity concentrations of 226Ra in the rocks, an indication of low water-rock interaction. Chemical analysis of rocks using AAS revealed SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, K2O, TiO2, P2O5, and MnO as major oxides. The elemental composition revealed that migmatite, porphyritic granite, and charnockite are in alkali-calcic and calcic-alkali series, while undifferentiated schist was of calcic series.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation and Health Physics, Department of Physics, Ekiti State University, Ekiti, Nigeria

    Ebenezer Babatope Faweya

  2. Olaoluwa College, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

    Oluranti Adegoke Agbetuyi

  3. Department of Geology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

    Abel Ojo Talabi

  4. Geophysics Unit, Department of Physics, Federal University Lafia, Lafia, Nigeria

    Taiwo Adewumi

  5. Department of Statistics, Ekiti State University, Ekiti, Nigeria

    Olanrewaju Faweya

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  1. Ebenezer Babatope Faweya
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  2. Oluranti Adegoke Agbetuyi
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Faweya, E.B., Agbetuyi, O.A., Talabi, A.O. et al. Radiological Implication of 222Rn Concentrations in Waters from Quarries Environs, Correlation with 226Ra Concentrations and Rocks Geochemistry. Arab J Geosci 14, 1044 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07385-9

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