title: Radioecological impacts of tin mining.
abstract: The tin mining activities in the suburbs of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, have resulted in technical enhancement of the natural background radiation as well as higher activity concentrations of primordial radionuclides in the topsoil of mining sites and their environs. Several studies have considered the radiological human health risks of the mining activity; however, to our knowledge no documented study has investigated the radiological impacts on biota. Hence, an attempt is made to assess potential hazards using published data from the literature and the ERICA Tool. This paper considers the effects of mining and milling on terrestrial organisms like shrubs, large mammals, small burrowing mammals, birds (duck), arthropods (earth worm), grasses, and herbs. The dose rates and risk quotients to these organisms are computed using conservative values for activity concentrations of natural radionuclides reported in Bitsichi and Bukuru mining areas. The results suggest that grasses, herbs, lichens, bryophytes and shrubs receive total dose rates that are of potential concern. The effects of dose rates to specific indicator species of interest are highlighted and discussed. We conclude that further investigation and proper regulations should be set in place in order to reduce the risk posed by the tin mining activity on biota. This paper also presents a brief overview of the impact of mineral mining on biota based on documented literature for other countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Nasarawa State University, P.M.B 1022, Keffi, Nigeria. saabubakarlive@utm.my.|Department of Physics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Johor, Malaysia. saabubakarlive@utm.my.
authors.forename: Abubakar Sadiq
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4980-7927
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Aliyu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and the Environment and Sustainability Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy Alexander
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Mousseau
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Nasarawa State University, P.M.B 1022, Keffi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ahmad Termizi
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ramli
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia.|Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Yakubu Aliyu
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Bununu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008906:Mining; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009549:Nigeria; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014001:Tin; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014001:Tin
keywords: Biota; Dose rate; Jos; Radioecology; Tin mining