Uranium concentration in children’s hair samples and residential soil samples near mine tailings facilities, in Johannesburg, South Africa

Communities near gold mine tailings are at risk of exposure to toxic substances, with children being particularly vulnerable. This comparative cross-sectional study evaluated uranium concentrations in hair samples collected from children and in soil samples from their residential areas near gold mine tailings in Johannesburg(exposed group) and compared them with those from Durban reference sites (unexposed group). A total of 406 participants aged 0-18 years were included. Out of those participants 208 were from Johannesburg (exposed group) and 198 were from Durban (unexposed group). Data collection involved the collection of hair and soil samples, administration of questionnaires, and anthropometric measurements. Most participants were female (54.2%). The mean age was 10 years (SD = 9.6). The majority of participants families (60.3%) relied solely on social grants. The median uranium concentration was significantly higher in the exposed group (17.07 µg/kg; range: 0.73-323) than in the unexposed group (8.12 µg/kg; range: 0.47-1131, p < 0.001). Girls (18.83 µg/kg) had higher uranium levels than boys (7.92 µg/kg) (p < 0.001), and younger children (not yet attending school) had the highest concentrations (18.67 µg/kg) (p < 0.001). Among the exposed group, girls (23.50 µg/kg) had higher uranium levels than boys (11.77 µg/kg), and children not yet attending school (21.31 µg/kg) and those attending preschool (25.37 µg/kg) had the highest concentrations. Targeted public health interventions and environmental mitigation strategies are necessary to reduce exposure risks in affected communities.