Measurement of indoor and outdoor background ionising radiation level at Kwali General Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria was carried out using a well calibrated Geiger muller counter; Atomtex AT1117M radiation monitor. The dose equivalent results obtained range from 0.100±0.001 µSv/h to 0.124±0.007 µSv/h with an average of 0.107±0.003 µSv/h for indoor measurement while it ranges from 0.100±0.001 µSv/h to 0.122±0.003 µSv/h with an average of 0.108±0.003 µSv/h for outdoor measurement respectively. The obtained values are below the standard background radiation of 0.133 µSv/h. The study also revealed that the average annual equivalent dose rate is 0.750± 0.020 mSv/y and 0.189±0.005 mSv/y for indoor and outdoor measurements respectively. These results revealed that the dose levels in all of the locations (indoor and outdoor) were below the 1 mSv/y maximum permissible limit for the public set by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Therefore, Kwali General Hospital is radiologically safe ©JASEM http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v19i1.12

Environmental radiation measurement was carried out in an automobile mechanic village, Apo, Abuja, Nigeria. An in-situ measurement approach was adopted using RDS-200 Universal Survey Meter and a handheld Global Positioning System (Garmin GPS 76S) equipment. It was observed that the dose equivalent varied from 0.04 µSv/h to 0.22 µSv/h with a mean of 0.10± 0.03 µSv/h which is below the standard background radiation of 0.133 µSv/h The study also revealed that the average annual effective dose rate is approximately 0.20±0.06 mSv/yr which is lower than the value of 1.0 mSv/yr averaged over five consecutive years according to the dose limit placed by the Basic Safety Standards (BSS) SCHEDULE II and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) REPORT 60. This indicates that the automobile technicians, craftsmen and the people living and working within the area are safe and are not exposed to high doses of radiation as a result of activities in the Apo Automobile Mechanic Village. © JASEM http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v18 i2.21 Introduction: Radiation, because of the adverse health effect when persons are over exposed to ionizing radiation, is feared by many people worldwide and Nigerians are no exemption (Oyeyinka et al., 2012). The earth's atmosphere especially the human populace is exposed to both non-ionizing and ionizing radiation from different sources, which include natural and artificial sources. Prominent among the natural sources are the primordial radionuclides (238 U and 232 Th and their progenies, and 40 K), while the artificial sources include, anthropogenic radionuclide such as 137 Cs, 90 Sr, etc. (Avwiri et al., 2010).

Background: Scrap metal can contain sources of radiation with the associated environmental and health risks. Radioactive substances can become associated with scrap metal in various ways and if not discovered they can be incorporated into steel and non-ferrous metals through the melting process. This can cause health hazards to workers and to the public as well as environmental concerns Objectives: this study aimed at assessing the outdoor radiation exposure levels and human health risk in a major scrap metal market in Abuja, FCT. Method: An in-situ measurement approach was adopted using a factory calibrated Radiagem-2000 Universal Survey Meter and a handheld Global Positioning System (Garmin GPS 76S) equipment. The monitor was suspended in air at one meter above the ground level. Readings were obtained between the hours of 1200 and 1600 hours since the exposure rate meter has a maximum response to environmental radiation within these hours. Results: The results showed that the average values for the outdoor exposure dose rate for the three location ranges from 0.173±0.042 μSv/h to 0.177±0.046 μSv/h with a mean of 0.176±0.045 μSv/h. These values, though, slightly higher than the standard background radiation of 0.133 μSv/h,are below the ICRP maximum permissible limit of 0.57 μSv/h. The results also show that the AEDE values are lower than the ICRP recommended limits of 1.0 mSv/y for the public and 20 mSv/y for occupationally exposed workers. The ELCR ranges from 0.5926 x 10-3 to 0.6049 x 10-3 with a mean of 0.6008 x 10-3 which is 2.1 times higher than the world’s average. The dosage to organs received shows that the testes have the highest dose while the liver has the lowest dose. The result of the dose to the organs showed that all the values are below the international tolerable limits. Conclusion: Generally, The radiological assessment shows that the study area does not constitute any immediate radiological health effect on the workers and the general public due to radiation exposure rate.