– Gamma-ray Spectrometry of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (Norm) from Birnin Gwari Artisanal Goldmine of Kaduna State, Nigeria –
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ABSTRACT
Mining has been identified as one of the potential sources of exposure to naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Whilst the developed countries have identified NORM as potential problems and measures are being taken to address the issue very little is being done in the developing countries. However artisanal miners and mining companies are not being regulated for NORM in Nigeria.
Birnin Gwari is one of the largest goldmines in Nigeria and has been in operating for the past 80 years with no data on radioactivity levels. This study was carried out to determine the activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K from the gold ores mine at Birnin Gwari gold mine using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) technique. The mean activity concentrations for 238U, 232Th and 40K in soil/rock samples were found to be 37.36 ± 5.45, 62.69 ± 6.33 and 997.57 ± 199.77Bq/kg respectively.
The results from this study are slightly higher when compared with typical world average of 33, 45 and 420 Bq/kg for 238U, 232Th and 40K respectively. The mean absorbed dose rate due to these radionuclides is 96.52 ± 9.62nGy/h which is also higher than 60nGy/h world average. The mean annual effective dose rate to the public in the area was estimated to be 0.118 ± 0.012mSv. The mean annual effective dose rate obtained in this work is lower than 1mSv/year dose limit recommended by ICRP for public radiation exposure control.
INTRODUCTION
Mining is a global industry undertaken for its economic benefits of wealthy creation and employment. In African commercial scale mining provides important benefits in terms of exports/foreign exchange earnings and tax receipt to nineteen African countries (Hayumbu, and Mulenga, 2004). Beside the socio-economic benefits of the mining industry in the developing countries such as Nigeria, the industry may be faced with three potential negative effects.
The first one is the socio-economic dislocation all ill-prepared mining communities go through at mine closure, which arise from exploitation of a non-regenerative resources (Hayumbuand Mulenga, 2004). The second and third undesirable aspects arise when non-optimal management of mining operations results in environmental degradation and /or negative health impacts on miners and mining communities.
Principal health problems among miners and mining communities from various countries that have been cited by the literature include respiratory disease, neoplasm/cancer, chronic hypertension, mental health and genetic impact (WHO, 1999) The major cause of these disease can be attributed to the heavy metal contamination and naturally occurring radioactive materials (ICRP, 1994).
Mining and industrial processing are among the main sources of heavy metal contamination in the environment. Mining activities, through milling operations coupled with grinding, concentrating ores and disposal of tailings, along with mill wastewater provide obvious sources of heavy metal contamination of the environment. It is, therefore, not surprising that the degree and extent of heavy metal pollution as a result of human activities has been one of the main topics studied in environmental geochemistry.
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