Spatial and temporal variations of the particulate size distribution and chemical composition over Ibadan, Nigeria.

Spatial and temporal variation of suspended particulate matter was measured in Ibadan, Nigeria during the raining and dry months of 2013 and 2014, respectively. Six different locations were considered, reflecting city-spread, population density, lifestyle, and vehicular- and industrial-related activities. Elemental characterisation of the samples were carried out using energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectroscopy, while the black carbon content was determined using an optical transmissometer.

Characterization and source identification of airborne particulate loadings at receptor site-classes of Lagos Mega-City, Nigeria.

Size segregated suspended particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM2.5-10) were collected using Gent low-volume air sampler at four different receptor site-classes in Lagos Mega City, Nigeria.

Radiological indices of technologically enhanced naturally occurring radionuclides: a PIXE approach.

This paper reports an assessment of the level of the radionuclides (40)K, (232)Th and (238)U in environmental soil samples (process waste), and hence their calculated dose rates. For this purpose, the radioactivity from three natural radionuclides was determined in tin process-waste samples in Jos, Nigeria. This work is based on the particle induced x-ray emission (PIXE) approach, devoid of the secular equilibrium, and most of the resolution, interference, self-absorption, geometrical and density correction problems inherent in gamma spectrometry.

A complimentary tool in the determination of activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides.

The determination of activity concentrations of radionuclides requires a reliable gamma spectrometry system, which also depends on the compulsory attainment of secular equilibrium amongst the progenies of the radionuclide of interest. This is often difficult to attain and hence a helium particle induced x-ray emission technique, not requiring the compulsory attainment of secular equilibrium, was used to determine the actual concentrations of the elemental content of tailings from the high background radiation tin mining area, Jos, Nigeria. The activity concentrations of the radionuclides of (40)K, (232)Th and (238)U were also calculated based on their elemental analyses, providing reliable information about the heads of uranium ((238)U) and thorium ((232)Th) series on the study area.

An optimization of PIXE procedure for high-Z species in a lower Z matrix.

Singly charged helium ((4)He(+)) induced PIXE technique was used for the elemental analysis of tin mining tailings. The procedure gave very good results especially when a correction was implemented for X-ray absorption in the low-Z region of the spectrum. The use of helium ions to induce X-ray emission was found to be adequate, especially in the case of the intermediate light elements (12 View Article and Find Full Text PDF