“Natural Radiation Levels In Some Regions Are Unacceptable”

  Dr Saidou, Focal Point, Natural radiation exposure project.

What prompted the survey on natural radiation levels in Cameroon?

We don’t need to have nuclear plants in a country to have threats of nuclear radiation. We have natural radiation everywhere; transferred from soils to building materials, water, plants, air and so on. It is important we know the levels and how to control them. In that regard, the Institute of Geological and Mining Research carried out the project on natural radiation exposure to the public and its health effects within four years. It was in collaboration with the Hirosaki University. We carried out radioactivity measurements with the Japanese university in the uranium bearing area of Poli in the North region; the uranium and thorium bearing area of Lolodorf, South and Center regions, the gold bearing area of Batare Oya in the East, the Bauxite bearing area south of the Adamawa, the bauxite bearing area of the South region and in the cities of Douala and Yaounde.

What are the main findings of the project?

We found out the levels of external radiation in the cities of Yaounde and Douala is almost normal just as in most of the areas surveyed. But there are areas where radio activity levels are high and unacceptable. This include the uranium bearing area of Poli and the thorium bearing area of Lolodorf where especially inside uranium deposit locations, radioactivity levels are too high. They can be compared to radiation levels in areas contaminated by radioactive accidents like Fukoshima. Fortunately the areas are not inhabited. However, some few inhabited places in Lolodorf have very high levels. The elements from Uranium (radon) and Thorium (thoron) are found in the natural environment. Slightly over 10 per cent of houses in Yaounde and Douala have too much of radon levels- greater than acceptable levels prescr...