PhD Research Investigates Radioactivity in Materials used in SA’s Building Industry

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Dr Olusegun Omogunloye has been awarded a PhD in Physics from UKZN for research that estimated radionuclide contents in river sediments and cement used in the modern South African building industry and the related radiological hazard indices.

As a lecturer in the Department of Physical Sciences at Agagu University of Science and Technology in Okitipupa, Nigeria, Omogunloye was looking for a suitable university to read for his doctorate.

‘UKZN has always ranked among the top five universities in Africa, with top-notch faculty members, research facilities and excellent laboratories,’ he said. ‘I decided that if I left Nigeria for any country in Africa to study for my PhD, South Africa would be my destination.’

Omogunloye, supervised by Professor Naven Chetty, said the environment contained varying degrees of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), which differ by geographical location and are enhanced by human activities such as industrialisation. NORMs present in various environmental set-ups such as building materials, air, water, crops and soil; and various materials used for building construction purposes have been positively identified as primary sources of radiation in the environment.

‘My PhD focused on environmental radiation and health physics, and estimated the radionuclide contents and radiological hazard indices of the NORMs in samples of some materials used in modern South African buildings,’ he said.

Omogunloye has a passion for interdisciplinary research, especially related to human health. He mentioned the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), especially SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. ‘These SDGs help member states ensure that their citizens have suitable, safe and healthy communities to live in,’ he said. ‘My research has been instructive from the building materials radiation safety viewpoint as it assessed the radiological risk parameters in building materials.’

Omogunloye’s dissertation not only contributes to an understanding of the radiological risks associated with different materials used for building construction purposes in South Africa, but also provides fundamental data for the activity concentrations of primordial radionuclides 226Ra, 238U, 232Th and 40K in studied samples within the study area.

His studies revealed that the assessed radiological risk parameters of the studied building materials fell within the recommended safety limits. ‘This is significant from the perspective of environmental health and radiological protection,’ he said. ‘The methodology and findings can also inform similar studies in other regions, enriching global awareness of the safety standards of materials.’

Omogunloye is now looking for a postdoctoral fellowship opportunity in radiation waste management and treatment and would like to return to Nigeria to pass on the knowledge he has gained.

He thanked his supervisor Professor Naven Chetty and co-supervisor Dr Abiola Ilori of the School of Chemistry and Physics on the Pietermaritzburg campus as well as the Department of Physics at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria, for giving him access to their Environmental Radiation Laboratory.

‘It has been a long, worthy academic journey,’ said Omogunloye. ‘I give all the glory to God; and I thank my wife Omolere; my siblings Adewale, Adekunle, Gbenga, Taiwo and Kehinde; and my parents. I thank you all.’

Words: Sally Frost

Photograph: Supplied