Environmental impact assessment and statistical analysis of natural radioactivity in the slopes of Mount Cameroon area

• Published in: Arabian journal of geosciences 2023, Vol.16 (7), Article 413
• Main Authors: Tiomene, Dorine Flore, Bongue, Daniel, Guembou Shouop, Cebastien Joel, Ngwa Ebongue, Alexandre, Penabei, Samafou, Mbogning Feudjio, William, Ndontchueng Moyo, Maurice, Kwato Njock, Moise Godfroy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Body organs; Cluster analysis; Coastal zone; Correlation; Distribution; Dosage; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Environmental impact; Environmental impact assessment; Gamma rays; Immunoglobulins; Impact analysis; Local population; Mathematical analysis; Natural radioactivity; Normal distribution; Original Paper; Parameters; Principal components analysis; Radioactivity; Radioisotopes; Radionuclide kinetics; Radium; Radium 226; Radium isotopes; Radium radioisotopes; Samples; Soil compaction; Spectrometry; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Statistics
• ISSN: 1866-7511; 1866-7538
• DOI: 10.1007/s12517-023-11511-0

The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K in soil samples from the slopes of Mount Cameroon (South-West coastal region) have been investigated using gamma-ray spectrometry measurement-based NaI (Tl) detector. The average activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K in the assessed soil samples were found to be 15.80, 43.94, and 111.68 Bq/kg, respectively. From the obtained concentrations, radiological hazard parameters such as the equivalent radium activity (Ra eq ), the dose rate (Dose_ rate ), the annual effective dose (AED), the risk indexes ( H ex , H in , I a , Ig , ELCR), and the annual effective dose to the organs ( D organs ) were calculated. The mean values of the obtained concentrations and radiological hazard parameters are all below the world average values and suggest no radiological alarm for the local population and visitors. A statistical study consisting of descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis was performed to investigate the distribution and relationship between 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K in the study area; also, to find out which factor mainly influences the calculated radiological parameters and to classify the samples according to their category or similarity. It was found that 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K follow an approximately normal distribution and that there is a very low correlation between 40 K and the other radionuclides. Cluster analysis reveals four clusters which can also be compacted into two major groups suggesting that the samples are primarily from two groups of rocks. Finally, the main contributor to radiological exposure in the study area is 232 Th, which is in agreement with the reference published works.