Assessment of Outdoor Background Ionizing Radiation of University Teaching Hospital (UPTH) of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/Keywords:
Radiation, Absorbed dose, Organ dose, Obio/Akpor, Teaching HospitalAbstract
Outdoor background ionizing radiation refers to the radiation dose from natural and artificial sources in the environment that we are exposed to at all time when we are outside. The assessment of back ionizing radiation of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) in Rivers State has been carried out using a well calibrated radiation meter. Ten (10) location within the Teaching Hospital (UPTH) was considered for the purpose of the study. The result of BIR varies from0.011 mR/h to 0.019 mR/h with mean of 0.015mR/h, absorbed dose varies from 0.964 to 1.594nGy/h with mean of 116.71 nGy/hr, Annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) varies from 0.149 to 0.319 mSv/yr with mean of 0.20 mSv/yr while excess life cancer risk (ELCR) varies from 0.523 to 1.117x10-3 with a mean of 0.70 x10-3. The obtained mean is higher than the stipulated standard of 0.29 x10-3. The radiation percentage is of an increasing order of Liver, Ovaries, kidney, Lung, Whole body, Bone marrow, and the Testes. The higher percentage of radiation was obtained in the testes with eighteen percentages, while the lower percentage was obtained in the Liver with ten percentages. The results showed that the mean background ionizing radiation and absorbed dose rates were higher than the recommended world average values prescribed by UNSCEAR (2020), indicating enhanced radiation levels within some parts of the hospital environment.
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