Speaker
Description
Understanding sediment dynamics in an estuary is important for environmental management and sustainable development in a region. Kilindini Harbour in Mombasa, Kenya is a natural harbour and serves as the largest port in East Africa. Consequently, it holds significant economic importance for regional trade and commerce. The objective of this study was to analyze sediment movement in the harbour using natural radionuclides. Samples were collected from Mteza Creek, River Mwache, and Port Reitz, representing different stages of sediment transportation. Activity concentrations were measured using gamma spectroscopy, and QGIS maps were used to visualize the patterns and relationships in the activity concentrations in the sample areas. The mean activity concentrations in all sample areas were as follows: 20 Bq/kg for 238U, 30 Bq/kg for 232Th and 648 Bq/kg for 40K. The findings revealed contrasting behavior among the activity concentrations. High activities were recorded along the river meanders, point bars and the mouth of River Mwache at Port Reitz. This behavior indicated that the regions recording high activities were the regions with the highest sedimentation which has been proven in other studies. For future recommendations this methodology would be useful to locate regions of high and low sedimentation in harbors worldwide. These insights are significant for the development of effective environmental management strategies aimed at protecting the ecological integrity of Kilindini Harbour and similar estuarine ecosystems.
| Abstract Category | Earth Physics |
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