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Health risk profile for terrestrial radionuclides in soil around artisanal gold mining area at Alsopag, Sudan

  • Research Article - Anthropogenic Hazard
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Abstract

This study shows the assessment of radiation hazard parameters due to terrestrial radionuclides in the soil around artisanal gold mining for addressing the issue of natural radioactivity in mining areas. Hence, the levels 238U, 232Th, 40K and 226Ra in soil (using gamma spectrometry), 222Rn in soil and 222Rn in air were determined. Radiation hazard parameters were then computed. These include absorbed dose D, annual effective dose E, radium equivalent activity Raeq, external hazard Hex, annual gonadal dose equivalent hazard index AGDE and excess lifetime cancer risk ELCR due to the inhalation of radon (222Rn) and consumption of radium (226Ra) in vegetation. Uranium (238U), thorium (232Th) and potassium (40K) averages were, respectively, 26, 36 and 685 Becquerel per kilogram (Bq kg−1). Soil radon (4671 Bq m−3) and radon in air (14.77 Bq m−3) were found to be less than worldwide data. Nevertheless, the average 40K concentration was 685 Bq kg−1. This is slightly higher than the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation average value of 412 Bq kg−1. The obtained result indicates that some of the radiation hazard parameters seem unsavory. The mean value of absorbed dose rate (62.49 nGy h−1) was slightly higher than average value of 57 nGy h−1 (~ 45% from 40K), and that of AGDE (444 μSv year−1) was higher than worldwide average reported value (300 μSv year−1). This study highlights the necessity to launch extensive nationwide radiation protection program in the mining areas for regulatory control.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely give many thanks to the staff at Sudan Atomic Energy Commission and Neelain University (Faculty of Petroleum and Minerals), Sudan, for their valuable help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, Committee on Radiation and Environmental Pollution Protection, College of Science, Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), P.O. Box 90950, Riyadh, 11623, Saudi Arabia

    Hajo Idriss, Abdulaziz S. Alaamer & M. A. AL-Rajhi

  2. Sudan Atomic Energy Commission (SAEC), P.O. Box 3001, Khartoum, Sudan

    Hajo Idriss, Isam Salih, Alshfia Osman, Tahir Elamin Adreani & Nagi I. Ali

  3. Department of Physics, Taibah University, PO Box 30002, Al-Madinah Aalmunawarrah, 41477, Saudi Arabia

    Isam Salih

  4. Department of Mineral Wealth, Faculty of Petroleum and Minerals, Al Neelain University, P.O. Box 21702, Khartoum, Sudan

    M. Y. Abdelgalil

  5. Department of Radiological Sciences and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah, 11952, Saudi Arabia

    Nagi I. Ali

Authors
  1. Hajo Idriss
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  2. Isam Salih
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  3. Abdulaziz S. Alaamer
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  4. M. A. AL-Rajhi
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  5. Alshfia Osman
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  6. Tahir Elamin Adreani
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  7. M. Y. Abdelgalil
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  8. Nagi I. Ali
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Correspondence to Hajo Idriss.

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Idriss, H., Salih, I., Alaamer, A.S. et al. Health risk profile for terrestrial radionuclides in soil around artisanal gold mining area at Alsopag, Sudan. Acta Geophys. 66, 673–681 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-018-0166-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-018-0166-6

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