Elemental quantification and radioactive characterization of soil from Douala Bassa area: littoral region of Cameroon using X- and γ-rays spectrometry

Abstract

Abstract The objectives of the present work were to characterize the investigated soil using EDXRF and to evaluate the radioactivity concentration of the primordial radionuclides using gamma-ray spectrometry-based High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector, Broad energy type (BEGe). Soil characterization using EDXRF in the present study gives an overview of the geological origin or provenience of the investigated area. As a result, the analyzed soil samples can be classified chemically as Fe-soil and are illustrative dregs from the Continental margin because of high concentration of Fe (its concentration ranged from 14.78% to 22.26%) in all the investigated samples. The plotting of Al2O3/SiO2 (%) as a function of Fe2O3 and MgO (%) for the eighteen sample points investigated from Douala and the diagram for the tectonic discrimination of sediment provenance evidenced that all soil samples are residue from Passive margins. The observed activity concentration profile of the primordial radionuclides and the calculated radium equivalent activity show that no significant radiological risk can be observed for inhabitants within the study areas. As regards to that, the obtained results of the two analytical techniques could be viewed as baseline data for subsequent investigations on elemental characterization and radioactivity assessment in the study area.