ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVE NATURAL BACKGROUND RADIATION DOSE IN DOMA AND NASARAWA EGGON TOWNS, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Assessment of effective natural background radiation dose in Doma and Nasarawa Eggon Towns of Nasarawa State, Nigeria was calculated. The annual effective dose rate for both the indoor and outdoor data formed in each area were computed using an equation. 10 locations were selected in both towns. The survey meters used in this work was held at 1 m above the ground surface. It is observed that the indoor annual effective dose rate for Doma town is from 0.9-1.1 mSv/yr and for Nasarawa Eggon town is form 0.90-1.17 mSv/yr. Data for the outdoor annual effective dose rate are within the recommended limits as it ranges from 0.23 to 0.28 mSv/yr for Doma town and 0.24-0.28 mSv/yr for Nasarawa Eggon town. It is found that the results are lower than the global recommended average of 2.4 mSv/yr. However, it is higher than the radiation dose limit of 1 mSv/yr for indoor individual members of the public in Nasarawa Eggon town. These results provide the essential baseline information for the assessment of any environmental radioactive contamination of the area in foreseeable future.