Research Article
Assessment of Radiation Exposure Rate and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk in Oil-Producing Communities of Edo State, Nigeria
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 5, October 2026
Pages:
108-116
Received:
25 November 2025
Accepted:
9 January 2026
Published:
20 September 2026
Abstract: The exposure of humans and other living matters in the environment to ionizing radiation is traceable to natural and artificial activities such as oil and gas exploration. This study presents the result of assessment of ionizing radiation exposure and excess lifetime cancer risk in oil producing communities of Edo state Nigeria. An In-situ measurement of radiation exposure rate was done using well calibrated radiation detector (Radalert-100). From the ionizing radiation exposure rate, the absorbed dose, annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were calculated by standard methods. Results showed that the outdoor mean absorbed dose rates due to the ionizing radiation exposure rate in the various communities of the four LGAs, estimated were 137.837 nGyh-1, 98.457 nGyh-1, 92.83 nGyh-1, 75.95 nGyh-1, 78.76 nGyh-1, 118.15 nGyh-1, 73.13 nGyh-1 and118.15 nGyh-1 respectively for Ohamaha, Ologbo, Obaretin, River A, River B, EDSPADEC, Gelegele Town, and Flow Station. The obtained values for absorbed dose rate and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) in Ohamaha, Ologbo, Obaretin, EDSPADEC and Flow station, are higher than the world average value of 89 nGyh-1 (UNSCEAR, 2000) 0.29 × 10- 3 respectively. The study concluded that the chance of the workers and those living around such locations to be exposed to cancer overtime in these communities is high due to the high value of ionizing radiation exposure rate and high values of excess lifetime cancer risk obtained in this study which is attributed to oil exploration activities within the study area. Hence, the implication is that there are possibilities of stochastic effects on the exposed individuals.
Abstract: The exposure of humans and other living matters in the environment to ionizing radiation is traceable to natural and artificial activities such as oil and gas exploration. This study presents the result of assessment of ionizing radiation exposure and excess lifetime cancer risk in oil producing communities of Edo state Nigeria. An In-situ measurem...
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Avwiri Gregory Onomakere
