Activity Concentration of Commonly Consumed Musa Species in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

The average concentration of radionuclides in the various Musa species obtained in Ado township of Ekiti State Nigeria with a population of 446749 were estimated from the measurement of mean specific activity using a well calibrated Sodium Iodide Thallium (NaITl) detector system. Samples were collected from Irona, Erekesan and Okesa markets being the most popular markets in Ado-Ekiti.The radionuclides observed with reliable regularity belonged to the series-decay naturally occurring radionuclides headed by ²³⁸U and ²³²Th as well as the non-series nuclide, ⁴⁰K. The average concentration of ⁴⁰K was found to be highest in Musa sapientum (82.45±9.21 Bq kg^-1) while the least average concentration value was recorded in Musa Cavendish (29.79±7.87 Bq kg^-1).The highest average concentration of ²³⁸U was recorded in Musa paradisiaca (7.03±2.46 Bq kg^-1) and the least average concentration was found in Musa sapientum.(4.26±0.81 Bq kg^-1). For ²³²Th, Musa acuminata was found to have the highest average concentration (4.53±2.29 Bq kg^-1)while Musa paradisiaca was found with the least average concentration (2.59±1.10 Bq kg^-1)