Assessment of radiological contamination due to gold mining in soil and food crops of Babban Tsauni, Gwagwalada, Nigeria.

This article focuses on assessing the activity concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs)—specifically uranium-238 (^238U, measured as radium-226 ^226Ra), thorium-232 (^232Th), and potassium-40 (^40K)—and their associated radiological risks in soil and food crops around the Babban Tsauni artisanal gold mine in Gwagwalada, Nigeria. Using gamma spectrometry, the study found that activity concentrations of ^226Ra and ^232Th in mine soils and food crops exceeded worldwide average values, while ^40K levels remained within acceptable limits. Although radiological hazard indices such as radium equivalent activity and annual effective dose from ingestion were generally within safe limits, the annual effective dose due to external gamma radiation in soil and the annual gonadal equivalent dose were significantly elevated, indicating potential long-term health risks and the need for ongoing radiological monitoring. Transfer factors for radionuclide uptake from soil to crops were below unity, suggesting limited bioaccumulation in food crops and minimal radiological risk from consumption.