Bio
B.U., Nwaka, also known as Nwaka Benjamin Uchechukwu, is a Nigerian academic and researcher with expertise in Environmental and Radiation Physics, Radiation Exposure, and Radiation Protection. He has held affiliations with the University of Port Harcourt, University of Alberta, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State University, and Federal College of Education, Kano. He has authored multiple research papers and participated as a reviewer in academic journals.
Experience
University of Port Harcourt
2025 - PresentUniversity of Alberta
2018 - 2020Federal University of Technology Owerri
2014 - PresentEditors Role
Reviewer
GJMR
2018 - PresentResearch
External and Internal Radiation Doses from Chemical Fertilisers Used in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
The knowledge of external and internal doses of radiation emitted from radionuclides contained in different chemical fertilizers sold in Ibadan, Nigeria is very important. Therefore, activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra and 232Th radionuclides in Urea, NPK (15 – 15 – 15), NPK (16 – 16 – 16) and Single Super Phosphate (SSP) fertilizer brands sold in the area for agricultural purposes were determined using gamma– ray spectroscopy. Radium equivalent activity (Raeq), gamma radiation or representative index (ð‘°ð‘°ðœ¸ðœ¸), alpha index (ð‘°ð‘°ðœ¶ðœ¶), annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE), external exposure (Dext) to gamma radiation as well as internal exposure (Dint) to doses of radiation to the marketers and users of the products were calculated. The calculated Raeq for the four brands of chemical fertilizers were 80.90 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œâˆ’ðŸðŸ, 295.95 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œâˆ’ðŸðŸ, 293.93 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œâˆ’ðŸðŸ and 706.17 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œâˆ’ðŸðŸ respectively. External gamma doses were 0.60 ð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Ž ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ, 6.73 ð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Ž ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ, 6.65 ð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Ž ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ and 13.00 ð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Žð’Ž ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ while the sum of the internal doses due to inhalation and ingestion were found as 3.93 ðððððð ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ, 4.51 ðððððð ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ, 3.61 ðððððð ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ and 8.97 ðððððð ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ respectively. More external and internal doses of radiation were calculated for marketers of the products than farmers. The order of SSP > NPKs > Urea fertilizers was observed for external exposure to gamma radiation. The results could serve as important radiometric data and information upon which future environmental monitoring of external and internal exposure to gamma radiation and alpha parti
Activity Concentrations and Gamma Dose rate Levels in Poultry Feeds and Manure used in Ibadan, Nigeria
Workers and dealers in poultry feeds, and commercial farmers may be exposed to elevated gamma radiation doses via internal and external exposure during handling of feeds and manure in farming operations. The measurement and evaluation of internal and external exposure to gamma radiation doses due to the distribution of activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra and232Th in starter/grower poultry feeds, finisher poultry feeds and resulting poultry manure is therefore necessary from the radiation protection point of view. The measurement was done using Sodium Iodide activated with Thallium ð‘µð‘µð‘µð‘µð‘µð‘µ(ð‘»ð‘»ð‘»ð‘») gamma–ray spectrometer. The mean activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra and232Th in finisher poultry manure were 382.33±67.12 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œ −ðŸðŸ, 8.92±3.48 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œ −ðŸðŸ, 39.20±5.58 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œ −ðŸðŸ respectively, and in finisher poultry feeds were 284.31±27.46 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œ −ðŸðŸ, 15.21±8.88 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œ −ðŸðŸ, 38.43±4.08 ð‘©ð‘©ð‘©ð‘© ð’Œð’Œð’Œð’Œ −ðŸðŸ. The distribution of 226Ra was more heterogeneous in all the samples than homogeneous distributions obtained in 40K and 232Th. The significant radiation exposure pathway to the farmers is from internal exposure due to inhalation of poultry and manure dust particles. The mean annual effective dose of 3.62±0.23 ðððððð ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ, 3.73±0.38 ðððððð ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ, 2.25±0.23 ðððððð ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ were obtained for starter/grower feeds, finisher feeds, and finisher poultry manure respectively. The total annual effective dose calculated from the three major pathways for finisher poultry manure (2.94±0.48 ðððððð ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ) were lower than the results obtained for starter/grower (4.70±0.37 ðððððð ð’šð’šâˆ’ðŸðŸ) and fin
