PIXE Analysis of Vegetation Samples from Mining Site, Dange-Shuni LGA, Sokoto State
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70882/josrar.2025.v2i1.33Keywords:
PIXE, Mining sites, Vegetation Samples, Iullemeden Sokoto basinAbstract
This study has used Proton induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) to analyze fifteen vegetation samples collected from mining sites in Dange-Shuni LGA, Sokoto State. It is in a bid to ascertain trace elemental concentration in the vegetation samples as a result of their exposure to unearthed soil from deeply excavated mining activities in the mining communities of Dange-Shuni LGA. The elements; Al, Mn, Zn, Pb, Ti, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu, Fe, and As, were identified via the PIXE analysis of the vegetation samples from fifteen mining sites in a stratified random sampling by proportions. The results of PIXE through intrinsic efficiency of the detector indicates fair elevations of the elemental concentrations from the samples. The results are a justification of potential toxicity relevance in the samples as a response to the unabated mining activities in the localities. Caution must be applied on open grazing of animals and usage of vegetation of these localities for medicinal and other domestic applications to avert toxicity in human especially children of tender ages.
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