US EPA

1421628 

Journal Article 

Uranium and thorium in soils, mineral sands, water and food samples in a tin mining area in Nigeria with elevated activity 

Arogunjo, AM; Höllriegl, V; Giussani, A; Leopold, K; Gerstmann, U; Veronese, I; Oeh, U 

2009 

Yes 

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
ISSN: 0265-931X
EISSN: 1879-1700 

100 

3 

232-240 

English 

19147259 

10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.12.004 

WOS:000264416300004 

The activity concentrations of uranium and thorium have been determined in soils and mineral sands from the Nigerian tin mining area of Bisichi, located in the Jos Plateau, and from two control areas in Nigeria (Jos City and Akure) using high-purity germanium detectors (HPGe). High resolution sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (HR-SF-ICP-MS) was used to determine uranium and thorium in liquids and foodstuffs consumed locally in the mining area. The activities of uranium and thorium measured in the soils and mineral sands from Bisichi ranged from 8.7 kBq kg(-1) to 51 kBq kg(-1) for (238)U and from 16.8 kBq kg(-1) to 98 kBq kg(-1) for (232)Th, respectively. These values were significantly higher than those in the control areas of Jos City and Akure and than the reference values reported in the literature. They even exceeded the concentrations reported for areas of high natural radioactive background. Radionuclide concentrations in samples of the local foodstuffs and in water samples collected in Bisichi were found to be higher than UNSCEAR reference values. The results reveal the pollution potential of the mining activities on the surrounding areas. 

Uranium; Thorium; Tin mining; Soil; Food; TENORM