Assessment of Radiological and Elemental Concentrations in Soils

The research work that gave birth to the development of this book is prompted by the sudden rise in artisanal Gold mining exercises in northern Nigeria in the last two decades. Many rural dwellers suddenly find solace in either participating in different stages of artisanal mining exercises or partook in one aspect or the other of various human endeavor that such mining exercises attract. Artisanal mining is often concentrated to dry seasons for ease of operation and for lack of well-grounded financially rewarding engagements by local dwellers during this season; they depend mainly on peasant farming and animal rearing for survival. The rural dwellers in such affected communities readily find easy alternative means of generating income in these dry season spare time through engagement in this stated mining practices. As a radiation Biophysicist in training as at 2008, the author became drawn to these artisanal mining practices from health point of view in relation to exposure of these local miners working with crude implements, to possible radiations from primordial rocks as well as their being contaminated by heavy metals from the ' open-earth' while in search of these minerals.