ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY AND RADIOLOGICAL RISKS IN SOIL OF NUMBUPI MINING SITE IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA: PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2025-0905-3588Keywords:
Soil contamination, Natural radioactivity, Radiological hazards, Gamma spectrometry, Dose assessment, Hazard indexAbstract
The study was conducted in Numbupi, a gold-mining settlement in Chanchaga Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria. The area features lowland topography surrounded by rock formations and is characterized by open-pit mining practices. The study uses gamma spectrometry with a sodium iodide (NaI (Tl)) detector to assess the natural radioactivity concentrations of Ra, Th, and K in seven soil samples collected from the Numbupi Mining Site in Niger State, Nigeria. The mean activity concentrations of Ra (85.81 18.32 Bq/kg), Th (15.84 8.21 Bq/kg), and K (213.41 89.67 Bq/kg) were calculated and compared with world mean values. A high K concentration in Sample 5 (324.45 Bq/kg) is likely driven by anthropogenic sources, potassium fertilizer application, as it is a well-documented contributor to K enrichment, and natural (alluvial) interactions, while elevated Ra concentration in Samples 1 (136.70 Bq/kg) and 7 (120.72 Bq/kg) correlated with local granitic geology. The following radiological health parameters were calculated: radium equivalent activity (124.90 42.56 Bq/kg), absorbed dose rate (58.11 18.23 nGy/h), annual effective dose equivalent (0.36 0.12 mSv/y), and hazard indices (Hex = 0.34 0.12, Hin = 0.57 0.22). The observed correlations between natural radionuclides (Ra, Th, and K) in the analyzed soil samples reflect complex geological and anthropogenic interactions. The study revealed a strong positive correlation between Th and K (r = +0.85), primarily driven by Samples 5 and 7, indicating that soils with higher thorium concentrations also tend to have elevated potassium levels. All the calculated values were found to be well below international safety...
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Al-Khashman, O. A., Al-Muhtaseb, A. H., & Ibrahim, K. A. (2020). Natural radioactivity in soil and radiation hazard assessment in the southeastern area of Jordan. Environmental Earth Sciences, 79(1), 1 12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-09069-1
Almayahi, B. A., Tajuddin, A. A., & Jaafar, M. S. (2012). Measurements of natural radionuclides in human teeth and animal bones as markers of radiation exposure from soil in the northern Malaysian peninsula. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 112, 6474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.03.011
Beretka, J., & Mathew, P. J. (1985). Natural radioactivity of Australian building materials, industrial wastes, and by-products. Health Physics, 48(1), 8795.
El-Taher, A., & Elsaman, R. (2018). Radiological characterization of phosphate rocks in Morocco. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 131, 13 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.09.012
El-Taher, A., Makhluf, S., & Abbady, A. (2016). Natural radioactivity and dose assessment for phosphate rocks from Egypt. Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 9(1), 1318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2015.10.002
Esan, D. T., Obed, R. I., Sridhar, M. K. C., & Ajiboye, Y. (2022). Measurement of natural radioactivity and assessment of radiological hazard indices of soil over the lithologic units in IleIfe area, Southwest Nigeria. Environmental Health Insights, 16, 11786302221100041.
European Council (EC). (2013). Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation. Official Journal of the European Union.
Faweya, E.B., Ayeni, M.J., Adewumi, T., & Faweya, O. (2023). Environmental and Health Impacts: Presence of Radionuclides and Toxic Metals in Mining Areas in Niger State, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 26(1).
Ghiassi-Nejad, M., Mortazavi, S. M. J., Cameron, J. R., Niroomand-Rad, A., & Karam, P. A. (2002). Very high background radiation areas of Ramsar, Iran: Preliminary biological studies. Radiation and Environmental Biophysics, 41(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-001-0139-y
IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). (1989). Measurement of Radionuclides in Food and the Environment (Technical Reports Series No. 295). IAEA. https://www.iaea.org/publications/2210/measurement-of-radionuclides-in-food-and-the-environment
IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). (2014). Radiation protection and safety of radiation sources: International Basic Safety Standards. IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 3.
ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection). (2007). The 2007 recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Annals of the ICRP, 37(24), 1332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icrp.2007.10.003
ILO (International Labour Organization). (2022). Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: Challenges and Opportunities.
Karahan, G., Bayrak, E. Y., & akr, K. (2020). Natural radioactivity and associated radiation hazards in soil samples from Sakarya province, Turkey. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(15), 18521 18531. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08349-4
Kumar, A., Singh, S., & Mahur, A. K. (2019). Natural radioactivity in soils of a volcanic region: A case study from Middle Atlas, Morocco. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 208209, 106041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106041
Mansur A. M. and Sunusi A. Y. (2020). Evaluation of Soil Fertility for Maize (Zea Mays L.) Production Attamburawa in Dawakin Kudu, Kano Nigeria. FUDMA Journal of Sciences (FJS), Vol. 4 No. 1, March, 2020, pp 617 622.
Musthafa, M. S., & Krishnan, V. (2017). Natural radioactivity in high-background radiation areas of Kerala, India. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 177, 238245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.06.025
Rahman, S., Asaduzzaman, K., & Khandaker, M. U. (2020). Natural radioactivity in Bangladeshi soils: Implications for public health. Environmental Pollution, 256, 113457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113457
Ravisankar, R., Vanasundari, K., Chandrasekaran, A., Rajalakshmi, A., Suganya, M., Vijayagopal, P., & Venkatraman, B. (2014). Assessment of natural radioactivity and associated radiation hazards in coastal sediments of Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 7(1), 7 15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2013.12.002
Taskin, H., Karavus, M., Ay, P., Topuzoglu, A., Hindiroglu, S., & Karahan, G. (2009). Radionuclide concentrations in soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in Kirklareli, Turkey. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 100(1), 4953. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.10.012
Tzortzis, M., & Tsertos, H. (2004). Determination of thorium, uranium, and potassium elemental concentrations in surface soils in Cyprus. Health Physics, 86(5), 517526. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-200405000-00002
UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation). (2000). Sources and effects of ionizing radiation: UNSCEAR 2000 Report to the General Assembly. United Nations.
Usman, Y.T., Bello, S., Yabagi, A.J., Suleiman, I.K., Ishaq, Y., & Salisu, U.M. (2022). Impact Assessment of Background Radiation on Habitant and the Mining Environment at Lapai Area, Niger State, Nigeria. FUDMA Journal of Sciences, 6(2).
Veiga, R., Sanches, N., Anjos, R. M., Macario, K., Bastos, J., & Umisedo, N. (2006). Measurement of natural radioactivity in Brazilian beach sands. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 85(1), 7189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2005.06.009
Published
2025-05-31
How to Cite
Musa, J., Shehu, A., Aregbe, O. O., Abubakar, A. A., Garba, N. N., Adamu, U., Muhammad, A., Mukhtar, A., Vatsa, A. M., Kankara, U. M., & Yamusa, Y. A. (2025). ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY AND RADIOLOGICAL RISKS IN SOIL OF NUMBUPI MINING SITE IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA: PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS. FUDMA JOURNAL OF SCIENCES, 9(5), 87 - 96. https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2025-0905-3588
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Section
Research Articles
FUDMA Journal of Sciences
