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Deterministic and probabilistic methods were employed to assess the radiological risks associated with gold mining activities to both workers and the public in selected villages along the Jibia Niger-Nigeria border. In this study, a high-purity germanium detector was used to measure the specific activities of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs). The Oracle Crystal Ball Monte Carlo simulation estimated the annual effective dose (AED) at 90 ± 50 µSv/yr, while the RESRAD (deterministic) simulation yielded an estimate of 240 µSv/yr. Similarly, the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) was calculated to be 4.5E-4 ± 2E-4 through the Oracle crystal ball Monte Carlo simulation, and 7E-4 through RESRAD. While the effective dose values remain within the dose limits recommended by the ICRP, the estimated excess lifetime cancer risks suggest the need for implementing appropriate risk reduction strategies. It is recommended that radiation safety standards at mining sites be strengthened, public awareness be increased, and periodic environmental monitoring be conducted to mitigate long-term health risks.
Bello et al. (Fri,) studied this question.