Assessment of Radiation Dose in Some Selected Buildings within the Main Campus of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

Abstract

The natural environmental radiation exposure that humans encounter typically surpasses that from human-made sources. This radiation can have hereditary and somatic effects on individuals. Thus, an evaluation of radiation levels in selected buildings across the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta main campus was conducted using a Geiger-Muller (GM) survey meter as the measuring device. Utilizing GPS, twenty-five evenly distributed sampling locations were identified in the initial phase of the university's main campus, and radiation exposure rates for staff and students were measured using a detector. The resulting analysis showed minimum and maximum mean absorbed doses of 0.026 and 0.04 mR/hr, respectively. The mean annual dose equivalent was calculated to be 0.82 mSv/yr. This value stands as the baseline dose equivalent, which is below the maximum permissible dose equivalent for members of the public, set at 1.0 mSv/yr by the International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP, 2009). Consequently, it can be concluded that the main campus of the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta is free from radiological contamination. The area is deemed safe for community members and all forms of human activities.