Age-Stratified Spatial Radiological Risk Assessment of 226Ra 232Th and 40K in Water Surrounding the Geita Gold Mine in Tanzania
| dc.contributor.author | Mwimanzi, Jerome | |
| dc.contributor.author | Haneklaus, Nils | |
| dc.contributor.author | Lolila, Farida | |
| dc.contributor.author | Marwa, Janeth | |
| dc.contributor.author | Rwiza, Mwemezi | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mtei, Kelvin | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-10-15T06:12:40Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-09-26 | |
| dc.description | SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production | |
| dc.description.abstract | 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. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.3390/jox15050152 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://dspace.nm-aist.ac.tz/handle/123456789/3392 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | MDPI | |
| dc.subject | Ingestion dose | |
| dc.subject | Natural radioactivity | |
| dc.subject | Radiological risk assessment | |
| dc.subject | Radioactive material | |
| dc.subject | Water quality monitoring | |
| dc.subject | Geita Gold Mine | |
| dc.title | Age-Stratified Spatial Radiological Risk Assessment of 226Ra 232Th and 40K in Water Surrounding the Geita Gold Mine in Tanzania | |
| dc.type | Article |