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

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 ²³⁸U and from 16.8 kBq kg⁻¹ to 98 kBq kg⁻¹ for ²³²Th, 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.     

Radiological hazards of TENORM in the wasted petroleum pipes

Disposal petroleum pipes containing sludge and scale as a technically enhanced natural occurring radioactive material (TENORM) leads to internal and external radiation hazards and then a significant radiation dose to the workers. In order to contribute to a future waste management policy related to the presence of TENORM in the disposal sites of wasted petroleum pipes, scale and sludge as TENORM wastes are collected form these disposal pipes for radiometric analysis. These pipes are imported from onshore oilfields at south Sinai governorate, Egypt. The highest mean ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra concentrations of 519 and 50 kBq/kg respectively, were measured in scale samples. Sludge lies within the normal range of radium concentration. The average absorbed dose caused by the exposure to the wasted pipes equal to 4.09 μGy h⁻¹ from sludge and 262 μGy h⁻¹ from scale. This is much higher than the acceptable level of 0.059 μGy h⁻¹. Due to radon inhalation, important radon related parameters are calculated which advantage in internal dose calculation. Fairly good correlation between real radium content and radon exhalation rate for sludge samples is obtained. The hazards from sludge come from its high emanation power for radon which equal to 3.83%. The obtained results demonstrate the need of screening oil residues for their radionuclide content in order to decide about their final disposal.