BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//CERN//INDICO//EN BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Improvement of Methods for Establishing Baseline Data for Uranium Mines in Tanzania DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20190319T103500Z DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20190319T105000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260615T113627Z UID:indico-contribution-1349@indico.tlabs.ac.za DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Farida Lolila (University of Dar es Salaam)\nIn orde r to monitor future environmental pollution and to enforce uranium mining regulations during and after mining\, several efforts have been made to es tablish pre-mining baseline data at proposed uranium mines in Tanzania1-6. However\, these attempts did not produce the desired baseline data becaus e there was no clearly defined sampling area. The basis of the methods use d for selection and reduction of sampling points used back then could not be justified\, knowing that the boundaries of the study area were not dema rcated to include potential areas that would be appreciably polluted by mi ning activities. In this regard\, clearly defined methods for production o f reliable baseline data are urgently needed for subsequent enforcement of uranium mining regulations in Tanzania. My study therefore\, aims at impr oving the methods used for establishing baseline data in the proposed uran ium mining areas and their vicinity in Tanzania.\n\nOnce these methods are improved and the areas to be sampled are clearly defined\, radiological b aseline data will be established at these areas in two ways. In the first way\, gamma dose rates in air will be measured 1 m above ground using a ra diation survey meter after calibration. In the second way\, activity conce ntration of natural occurring radionuclides in soil will be determined and converted to absorbed dose rates in air. The soil samples will be collect ed and prepared using standard environmental sampling procedures recommend ed by the IAEA7. The samples analyses needed to obtain the activity concen tration will be based on gamma-ray spectroscopy.\n\nThe information develo ped from my study will provide an improved method for establishing effecti ve baseline data for uranium mines which are being established in various countries in Africa. It will also provide the public and the scientific co mmunity with the baseline data that will subsequently be used to evaluate the impact of uranium mining in terms of increased radiological risks duri ng operation and after closure of the proposed mine. \n\nReferences\n1. Lo lila F (2011) Establishment of baseline data of external ionizing radiatio n dose at proposed uranium mining sites and their neighbouring residential areas in Tanzania: The case of Mkuju River. M.Sc. Dissertation\, Departme nt of Physics\, University of Dar es Salaam.\n2. Mwalongo DA (2011) Determ ination of background radioactivity levels and elemental composition at Mk uju uranium deposit in Tanzania. M.Sc. Dissertation\, Department of Physic s\, University of Dar es Salaam.\n3. Mohammed NK and Mazunga MS (2013) Nat ural radioactivity in soil and water from Likuyu village in the neighborho od of Mkuju uranium deposit. International Journal of Analytical Chemistry . 2013:1-4. \n4. Kimaro EE and Mohammed NK (2015) Natural radioactivity le vels in the area around the uranium deposit of the Bahi district in Dodoma region\, Tanzania. International Research Journal of Pure & Applied Chemi stry. 9:1-10.\n5. Elisadiki J and Makundi I (2015) Establishment of backgr ound radiation dose rate in the vicinity of the proposed Manyoni uranium p roject\, Singida. Tanzania Journal of Science. 41:19-26\n6. Kasoga KF\, Mw alongo DA\, Sawe SF\, Nyaruba MM and Dammalapati U (2016) Ambient gamma d ose rate measurements at Manyoni uranium deposits\, Singida\, Tanzania. In : Chithambo M and Venter A (eds.) Proceedings of the 60th Annual Conferenc e of the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP2015)\, 28 June - 3 July\ , 2015\, Johannesburg. SAIP\, South Africa\, pp. 180 – 185 [Internet]\, Available from: [Accessed 2nd August 2018]\n7. International Atomic Energ y Agency (1989) Measurement of radionuclides in food and environment. IAEA \, Vienna.\n\nhttps://indico.tlabs.ac.za/event/82/contributions/1349/ LOCATION:J Block Auditorium URL:https://indico.tlabs.ac.za/event/82/contributions/1349/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR