Health Risk assessment of Radionuclides Contaminated Quarry soils using Chromolaena odorata  from Ratcon Quarry Oyo State  South West Nigeria

Abstract Radionuclides are quarry pollutants produced during the crushing of rocks and have been reported to cause severe health effects in the environment. This study assessed the health risk associated with Chromolaena odorata in soils polluted with radionuclides from quarry site in Ibadan, Oyo state. Soil and plant samples (10 each) were collected from different sampling points making (20 samples) in the quarry site and control. The soil and plant samples were quantified for radionuclides (238U, 232Th, and 40K) using standard procedures, Gamma-ray Spectroscopy Coupled NaI Detector was used. Health risk assessments were estimated for radionuclides vis-a-vis external hazard index, internal hazard index, excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR). Data obtained were subjected to descriptive (Mean ± SD) and inferential (Anova) statistics. The concentrations of radionuclides detected in soils were within the WHO allowable limits, except for 232Th and 40K which were slightly higher than the permissible limit. However, the health risk assessment values revealed that ELCR was higher in almost all the sampling points than the recommended value of 2.9×10− 4, this implies that there would be a risk of cancer due to radionuclides in the location.