Age-Stratified Spatial Radiological Risk Assessment of 226Ra 232Th and 40K in Water Surrounding the Geita Gold Mine in Tanzania
Title (eng)
Age-Stratified Spatial Radiological Risk Assessment of 226Ra 232Th and 40K in Water Surrounding the Geita Gold Mine in Tanzania
et al
Description (eng)
Long-term ingestion of water contaminated with naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) may pose health risks. Water around the Geita Gold Mine in Tanzania was assessed by high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry to quantify the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K, and computed age-stratified ingestion doses and risk indices were determined. The average activity concentrations were 57 mBq L−1 for 226Ra and 5026 mBq L−1 for 40K, while the activity concentrations of 232Th were below the detection limit in all samples. The estimated adult fatal cancer risk ranged from 0.9 × 10−6 to 3.1 × 10−6 (mean 2.0 × 10−6). The excess lifetime hereditary effect ranged from 2.0 × 10−6 to 7.3 × 10−6 for males (average 4.5 × 10−6 ± 1.5 × 10−6) and 2.1 × 10−6 to 7.7 × 10−6 for females (average 4.8 × 10−6 ± 1.6 × 10−6). One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlations indicated significant spatial variation in activities and indices across sites and age groups. Under current conditions, waters appear to be radiologically safe. However, mine-adjacent hotspots warrant targeted surveillance. The obtained results provide a baseline for sound monitoring approaches at the Geita Gold Mine and other mines showing similar activity profiles.
Keywords (eng)
ingestion dosenatural radioactivityradiological risk assessmentradioactive materialwater quality monitoringGeita Gold Mine
Type (eng)
Language
[eng]
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Is in series
Title (eng)
Journal of Xenobiotics
Volume
15
Issue
5
Publication
MDPI
Date issued
2025-09-16
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