Dose Assessment in Mining Communities in South Africa Using Ecolego Simulation Software

Ecolego simulation was used to predict long-term behavior of radionuclide concentration in air and soil and to estimate health impacts. The radionuclides considered in this model are ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra, ²¹⁰Pb, ²¹⁰Po, ²³⁴Th, ^230Th, and ²³⁴U. Dose assessments were conducted in soil and the pathway to humans through inhalation for an adult and an infant (1-2 years). Model simulations were performed over a period of 100 years, the approximate human lifetime. The doses through inhalation to adults were higher than the doses to infants in all study areas A to C. The inhalation doses for an infant in the three study areas A, B, and C range from 1.86 × 10^-2 µSv to 43.45 µSv, whereas those for an adult vary from 3.58 × 10^-2 µSv to 271.56 µSv. The total dose from inhalation of the eight radionuclides for an adult varies from 1811 µSv/y in area C to 2015 µSv/y in areas A and B, yet that for an infant was 744.51 µSv/y in area C and 745 µSv/y in areas A and B. These results will assist in developing more effective strategies for monitoring and mitigating exposure risks and pave the way for enhanced regulatory policies aimed at safeguarding public health and the environment.