The use of neutron activation analysis in gold prospecting in small-scale mining in Ghana |
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Authors: | K Ahmad S B Dampare D Adomako N N Opata R E Quagraine |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Chemistry, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box LG 80, Legon-Accra, Ghana;(2) Neutron Activation Analysis Laboratory of GHARR-1 Centre, National Nuclear Research Institute, P.O. Box LG 80, Legon-Accra, Ghana |
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Abstract: | A set of rock and soil samples from Dome Beposo in the Amansie-West district of Ashanti Region of Ghana, suspected to contain
gold, have been analyzed using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) coupled with conventional counting techniques.
The identification and quantification of the elements, gold, arsenic, mercury and antimony were done using 411.8 keV photopeak
of 198Au, 559.1 keV photopeak of 76As, 77.3 keV photopeak of 197Hg and 564.2 keV photopeak of 122Sb. The precision and accuracy of the method were evaluated using standard reference materials. The precision and bias was
found to be less than 6%. The first set of samples consists of ten rocks (GS), four of which retain moderate to quite high
concentrations of gold, 0.27±0.01 mg/kg, 1.58±0.09 mg/kg, 7.51±0.44 mg/kg and 8.06±0.35 mg/kg, respectively. The second set
comprises two soil samples taken from the upper and bottom layers of a gold exploration pit. Gold concentrations in upper
(UL) and bottom (BL) layers are 0.06±0.002 mg/kg and 0.47±0.02 mg/kg, respectively. Arsenic was found in the soils as well
as the rocks, and the levels ranged from 9.3±0.5 to 274±15.6 mg/kg. Mercury and antimony were found in the rocks only. Mercury
levels in the rocks ranged between 0.11±0.004 and 9.67±0.42 mg/kg whilst antimony levels ranged from 0.21±0.01 to 6.88±0.38
mg/kg.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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