INVESTIGATION OF SOIL-PLANT TRANSFER FACTOR OF NATURAL RADIONUCLIDES IN MANGO FRUITS IN OGBOMOSO METROPOLIS
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Ogbomoso Mango is widely consumed locally and across the globe in raw or juice form. However, plants can become contaminated from radionuclide deposition and absorption through root uptake from polluted soil and water thereby leading to the ingestion of polluted plants by man. Hence, this study investigated the radionuclide transfer factor (TF) of the soil plant (mango) of Ogbomoso metropolis. The identification and quantification of the radionuclides in the soil and mango samples were carried out with a sodium iodine-based gamma spectrometer and the TF was thereafter estimated. The radionuclide concentrations of 238U (1.38 ± 0.22 Bqkg-1), 232Th (2.50 ± 0.20 Bqkg-1) and 40K (18.06 ± 3.08 Bqkg-1) in the mango samples from Orire has the highest while Ogbomoso South has the least concentration 0.50 ± 0.13 18.06 ± 3.08 Bqkg-1, 1.02 ± 0.31 Bqkg-1 and 6.03 ± 1.73 Bqkg-1. The radionuclide concentration in soil samples for all the study locations was found to be in the range K >Th > U with that of Ogbomoso South having the least concentration. The TF is high for samples from Ogo-Oluwa (0.054, 0.326, and 0.344) while Ogbomoso South (0.023, 0.159, and 0.101) has the least. The TF obtained in this work reveals a relatively low radionuclide transfer from soil to mango tree, as the TF obtained for the study locations was lower than the permissible level of 1 recommended for soil-plant radionuclide transfer. Hence, the mango fruits in Ogbomoso metropolis are safe for consumption without posing any radiological risk to the populace.
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Authors: Olukunle Olaonipekun Oladapo, Emmanuel Abiodun Oni, Mustapha Kola Lawal, Paul Sola Ayanlola, Abraham Adewale Aremu, Olatunde Micheal Oni, Lukman Oluwaseyi Lawal
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Keywords: Ogbomoso Mango, Radionuclide concentrations, Soil-plant, Transfer factor
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