Nwankpa , Alexander Chinyere,
Gamma Radiation Associated with Gold Mining in Erinmo, Osun State, Nigeria,
Environmental Research Journal,
Volume 13,Issue 3,
2019,
Pages 79-82,
ISSN 1994-5396,
erj.2019.79.82,
(https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=erj.2019.79.82)
Abstract: Gold miners may be exposed to gamma
radiation due to radionuclide contaminants associated
with the gold. Twenty samples of soil were collected from
different illegal mining locations in Erinmo in Osun State
of Nigeria and were counted using the high purity
germanium detector. The radionuclides identified in all
the samples with reliable regularity are 238U, 232Th
and 40K. The 238U concentrations in soil range from
9.01±1.7-35.4±3.7 Bq kg–1 with an average of
21.9±2.1 Bq kg–1. The mean specific activities for
232Th range from 10.9±2.8-37.5±4.6 Bq kg–1 with an
average of 23.4±2.9 Bq kg–1 and the mean
specific activities for 40K in soil ranged from
99.0±12.3-182.8±18.5 Bq kg–1 with a mean of
136.5±18.2 Bq kg–1. The uranium and thorium specific
activities fall within the earth crustal mean for normal
environmental, hence, no uranium or thorium deposit
could be said to be in Erinmo. The total absorbed dose
rate in air for Erinmo in Osun State ranged between 15.4
and 47.2 nGyh–1 with an average of 30.7 nGyh–1. The
average value of the absorbed dose rate obtained in this
work represents 55.8% of the world average of value of
55.0 nGyh–1. These are within the ICRP limit of
maximum permissible dose per hour for a radiation
worker. Thus, the illegal mining of goldin Erinmo Osun
state poses no serious danger to the populace.
Keywords: Radiation;gold mining;absorbed dose rate;Nigeria;ICRP