{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T13:24:59Z","timestamp":1774877099069,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,28]],"date-time":"2026-03-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774656000000},"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>Four areas in the Kongo Central Province, western Democratic Republic of the Congo, with unexploited phosphate deposits were investigated to assess the composition of phosphatic materials and to evaluate pollution hazards, including radiological hazards arising from naturally occurring radionuclides. In those areas, phosphate rocks were sampled and analyzed for P2O5 content (by ED-XRF), and for the naturally occurring radionuclides 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, 40K (by gamma-ray spectrometry). Phosphate rocks displayed P2O5 content ranging from 1.06 to 24.42% (dry weight) and exceptionally high 238U and 226Ra activity concentrations (up to 3069 and 2273 Bq kg\u22121, respectively), significantly exceeding global averages in soils. Radiological hazard indices, including the radium equivalent (RaEq), annual effective dose and lifetime cancer risk, confirmed potential health risks associated with phosphate-rich rocks. With the upcoming development of phosphate deposits in DRC, such phosphate materials might become future sources of both geochemical contamination and radiological exposure, emphasizing the need for suitable radiation monitoring and waste management plans prior to and during mineral resource exploitation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/min16040359","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T12:11:59Z","timestamp":1774872719000},"page":"359","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Geochemical and Radiological Assessment of a Region with Phosphate Deposits, Democratic Republic of the Congo"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-7345-2926","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bruno O.","family":"Deko","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Exploration and Production, Faculty of Oil, Gas and Renewable Energies, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}]},{"given":"Ruben K.","family":"Koy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kinshasa, P.O. Box 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6639-6138","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando P.","family":"Carvalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laborato\u0301rio de Protecc\u0327a\u0303o e Seguranc\u0327a Radiolo\u0301gica, Instituto Superior Te\u0301cnico\/Campus Tecnolo\u0301gico Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, 2695-066 Loures, Portugal"}]},{"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, P.O. Box 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo"},{"name":"Department F.-A, Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, and Institute for Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland"}]},{"given":"Emmanuel K.","family":"Atibu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, P.O. Box 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1002\/fes3.109","article-title":"Mining industry and sustainable development: Time for change","volume":"6","author":"Carvalho","year":"2017","journal-title":"Food Energy Secur."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"403","DOI":"10.1139\/er-2016-0003","article-title":"Phosphate rock: Origin, importance, environmental impacts, and future roles","volume":"24","author":"Fayiga","year":"2016","journal-title":"Environ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4213","DOI":"10.1007\/s10967-023-09120-y","article-title":"Dispersion of radionuclides and heavy metals from phosphogypsum stacks in soil and plants at Northwestern Greece","volume":"332","author":"Noli","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Radioanal. Nucl. 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