Occupational exposure to radiation in medical practice in Ghana has been analysed for a 10-y period between 2000 and 2009. Monitored dose data in the medical institution in Ghana from the Radiation Protection Institute's database were extracted and analysed in terms of three categories: diagnostic radiology, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine. One hundred and eighty medical facilities were monitored for the 10-y period, out of which ~98% were diagnostic radiology facilities. Only one nuclear medicine and two radiotherapy facilities have been operational in the country since 2000. During the 10-y study period, monitored medical facilities increased by 18.8%, while the exposed workers decreased by 23.0%. Average exposed worker per entire medical institution for the 10-y study period was 4.3. Annual collective dose received by all the exposed workers reduced by a factor of 4 between 2000 and 2009. This is seen as reduction in annual collective doses in diagnostic radiology, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine facilities by ~76, ~72 and ~55%, respectively, for the 10-y period. Highest annual collective dose of 601.2 man mSv was recorded in 2002 and the least of 142.6 man mSv was recorded in 2009. Annual average values for dose per institution and dose per exposed worker decreased by 79 and 67.6%, respectively between 2000 and 2009. Average dose per exposed worker for the 10-y period was least in radiotherapy and highest in diagnostic radiology with values 0.14 and 1.05 mSv, respectively. Nuclear medicine however recorded average dose per worker of 0.72 mSv. Correspondingly, range of average effective doses within the diagnostic radiology, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine facilities were 0.328-2.614, 0.383-0.728 and 0.448-0.695 mSv, respectively. Throughout the study period, an average dose per medical institution of 3 mSv and an average dose per exposed worker of 0.69 mSv were realised. Exposed workers in diagnostic radiology primarily received most of the individual annual doses >1 mSv. The entire study period had 705 instances in which exposed workers received individual annual doses >1 mSv. On thermoluminescent dosemeter (TLD) return rates, facilities in Volta and Eastern Regions recorded highest return rates of 94.3% each. Ashanti Region recorded the least TLD return rate with 76.7%.
Indoor radon concentration for annual, rainy and dry season have been studied in 228 buildings which includes bedroom, kitchen, sitting room, laboratories and offices in Accra metropolis of Greater Accra of Ghana. The passive radon CR-39 SSNTD was used for this study. The cumulative frequency distribution, normalizing Q-Q plots, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk statistical test showed that the result of both workplaces and dwellings are not normally distributed. The strong positive correlation between the two seasons occurred at 95% confidence level with 2 tailed. The rainy season recorded highest coefficient variation of r2 = 0.982. Statistical analysis of median (39.3), AM (103.4), GM (57.9) and GSD (3.2) for rainy season were greater than that of the dry season of median (26.9), AM (88.2), GM (49.2) and GSD (2.8) respectively. Rainy season was found to contain high radon concentrations than the dry season for all the studied locations. In general, workplace had radon concentration far greater than dwellings. The results obtained from this study ranged between 13.6 to 533.7 Bq/m3, out of which 9.6%, 12.7% and 3.5% were found to be greater than action levels proposed by WHO, EC and ICRP.
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