Abstract
An assessment of the radiation concentration in abandoned mines located near informal settlements in the west of Johannesburg was carried out. In this study, gamma spectrometry was used to measure the activity concentrations in the soil samples. The results show the activity concentrations for 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K were 338.44±3.48, 10.06±0.68, and 126.15±10.90 Bq/kg, respectively. The radiological indices calculated from the activity concentration were above the acceptable global limits prescribed by the regulatory bodies. The mean radiological indices in descending order are AGDE > Ra Eq > ADR > ELCR > AEDE > I a with values of 1129.54 ± 46.63 µSv/y > 363.20 ± 7.81 Bq/kq > 500.56 ± 15.90 nGy/h > 5.62 ± 0.20×10 −3 > 1.57±0.06 mSv/y > 1.45±0.30. The concentration of uranium in the tailings, particularly around Soweto, exceeded the recommended levels, posing a significant health risk to the local population. The study suggests prohibiting the use of this soil for construction purposes.