Evaluation of the concentration of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the Tano irrigation dam and associated radiological hazards

The concentrations of Naturally Occurring radionuclide (238U, 232Th and 40K) in the Tono Irrigation Dam in the Kassena Nankana Districts of the upper East region of Ghana have been evaluated using gamma spectrometry technique. The sample analysis was carried out between the months of June 2011 to June 2012. The results from the study revealed the presence of small concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in both water and sediment samples analysed. The concentrations estimated varied from 2.36Bq/L to 4.16Bq/L with an average of 3.17Bq/L for 238U, 2.68 Bq/L to 5.48 Bq/L with an average of 4.46 Bq/L for 232Th. and 133.34 Bq/L to 175.87 Bq/L with an average of 166.74 Bq/L for 40K for water samples. The concentration ranged from 5.19Bq/Kg to 8.66 Bq/Kg with an average of 7.31Bq/L for 238U, 5.83 Bq/Kg to 8.16 Bq/Kg with an average of 6.91 Bq/Kg for 232Th. and 218.73 Bq/Kg to 453.25 Bq/Kg with an average of 379.94 Bq/Kg for 40K for sediments. Statistical analysis of the results revealed no significant correlation between the concentration of natural radionuclides and physicochemical parameters in the water samples from the dam. The Conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), OH-, HCO3-, Turbidity, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), mV were found to account more for the variance within the dataset and were also clustered together with 238U, 232Th and 40K. (au)