Gross Effect of Beta Radioactivity Concentration in Groundwater at Kakuri, Kaduna South Local Government Kaduna, Nigeria

Abstract

Water pollution is probably one of the most important threat because of it health hazards. Water pollution is the contamination of the water bodies such as lakes, rivers, ocean and underground water by human or natural activities that constitute a great deal of danger to both plants, animals and human being. Petroleum and refinery wastes, application of nitrates and phosphates fertilizers, mining wastes, radioactive substances, toxic chemicals and wrongful disposal of sewage are the main causes of water pollutions in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to determine the level of beta radioactivity in underground water at kakuri Kaduna south Local Government Area Council of Kaduna state, Nigeria, located within latitude 10°281011 and longitude 7°251011 covering 59 km2 with population of 402,390 according to the census report conducted in 2006. Ten water samples including five hand-dug wells and five boreholes were samples analyzed using the portable single channel Gas free MPC2000b-DP detector. The range of beta activity varied from 0.200 ± 0.041 Bq/L to 1.530 ± 0.141 Bq/L with a mean value of 0.613 ± 0.104 Bq/L as shown from the result. This result showed that the beta activity was below the recommended value set by world health organization (WHO) which was 1.0 Bq/L per year. But transformer borehole had higher value of 1.530 Bq/L which posed threat to the human health. Therefore, if the water from the remaining samples point is consumed, it posed no threat to the health of the people around the area.