Assessment of Radiation Risk from Background Radiation Exposures in Selected Hospitals within Makurdi Metropolis, North-Central, Nigeria

Abstract

In this study, a radiation alert meter was used to measure background ionizing radiation levels in four hospitals in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, North Central, Nigeria. This aimed to determine the radiological health implications of the measured background ionizing radiation study area's populace. The background ionizing radiation exposure rate (indoor and outdoor) measured ranged from 0.0014 to 0.0019 mRhr-1 with average value 0.0017 mRhr-1, 0.0015 to 0.0024 mRhr-1 with average value 0.0019 mRhr-1, 0.0013 to 0.0025 mRhr-1 with average value 0.0018 mRhr-1 and 0.0012 to 0.0024 mRhr-1 with average value 0.0018 mRhr-1 for the selected hospitals A, B, C and D, respectively. The study showed that the mean equivalent dose rate levels are within the international commission on radiological protection's standard permissible limits. The mean annual effective dose equivalent (indoor and outdoor) for all the selected hospitals is within the recommended permissible limits of 1.00 mSvy-1 for the general public. In the selected hospitals A, B, C, and D, the estimated Dorgan values for the lungs, ovaries, bone marrow, testes, kidney, liver, and whole-body due to radiation exposure and inhalation are below tolerable international limits of 1.0 mSv yearly. Hence the selected hospitals are radiologically safe.