Radioactivity in Some Food Crops from High Background Radiation Area on the Jos –Plateau, Nigeria

Abstract

The activity Concentration of 40K, 226Ra and 228Th were determined in the food crops on the Jos Plateau using γ-ray spectrometry. The activity concentration of the natural radionuclide in the food crops lied between 12.36 ± 0.82 and 56.92 ± 8.84Bq/Kg for 40K,(1.46 ± 0.05 to 10.42 ± 0.04) Bq/Kg for 226Ra and from (1.53 ± 0.08 to 6.85 ± 0.42) Bq/Kg for 228Th. These relativity high values for the activity concentrations maybe attributed to the series of tin mining activities that have taken place in these areas in the past decades. However, the values obtained suggest that the dose taken from intake of these radionuclides in the food crops is low and that harmful effects are not expected.