{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,26]],"date-time":"2026-04-26T09:11:10Z","timestamp":1777194670336,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,11]],"date-time":"2022-10-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1665446400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Minerals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The radioactivity associated with artisanal and small-scale gold mining activities (ASM) carried out along the Ulindi River, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, was evaluated by gamma-ray spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma\u2013mass spectrometry of soil and sediment samples. The results revealed that activity concentrations of 238U (up to 3127 \u00b1 98 Bq kg\u22121), 226Ra (up to 2710 \u00b1 89 Bq kg\u22121) and 232Th (up to 2142 \u00b1 162 Bq kg\u22121) were 71- to 89-fold higher than the worldwide average concentrations reported by UNSCEAR in soils. Primordial radionuclides are, thus, present in high concentrations in deposits of gold in that region and the average ambient effective radiation dose rate was determined at 8.4 mSv y\u22121 (range 0.5 to 40 mSv y\u22121). This area may be classified as a natural high background radiation area (HBRA). The radiation risk for artisanal miners and population members manipulating those geological materials were assessed through radiological parameters. such as the radium equivalent activity index (RaEq), outdoor gamma absorbed dose rate (ODRA), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR). The mean values of these parameters were significantly elevated in comparison to the world average levels and indicated the existence of significant radiation risks for gold miners and members of the local population. A radiation safety policy seems needed to protect workers and the local population in this region.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/min12101278","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,12]],"date-time":"2022-10-12T02:10:27Z","timestamp":1665540627000},"page":"1278","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["High Environmental Radioactivity in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7874-5908","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emmanuel K.","family":"Atibu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI B.P. 190, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}]},{"given":"Philippe","family":"Arpagaus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences and Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland"}]},{"given":"Crispin K.","family":"Mulaji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI B.P. 190, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8590-6017","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pius T.","family":"Mpiana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI B.P. 190, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4091-749X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"John","family":"Pot\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI B.P. 190, Democratic Republic of the Congo"},{"name":"Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences and Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0611-0388","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jean-Luc","family":"Loizeau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences and Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6639-6138","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando P.","family":"Carvalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laborat\u00f3rio de Protec\u00e7\u00e3o e Seguran\u00e7a Radiol\u00f3gica, Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, Campus Tecnol\u00f3gico Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, 2695-066 Lisboa, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"571","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jafrearsci.2005.10.016","article-title":"An overview of the geology and major ore deposits of Central Africa: Explanatory note for the 1:4,000,000 map \u201cGeology and major ore deposits of Central Africa","volume":"44","author":"Milesi","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Afr. Earth Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Yager, T.R. 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