DirtyGold (Radiological Gold Screening)

Overview

DirtyGold is a portable radiological screening technology for gold and gold-mining streams. In many artisanal and industrial gold zones, mining intersects radioactive mineral bodies (monazite, uranothorianite, thorite), so gold and its sands carry naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) — exposing miners, contaminating water, and risking export non-compliance. DirtyGold deploys handheld scintillation spectrometry, machine-learning gamma-signature detection, and trace isotopic profiling to screen gold at the point of extraction or pre-export and issue a radiological compliance result.

Applications

Primary use cases: point-of-extraction and pre-export radiological screening of gold; worker-dose and tailings/water NORM monitoring; radiological compliance certification for refiners, brokers, and customs.

Industries and users: gold miners (artisanal + industrial), refiners/brokers, ESG investors, regulators, customs.

Scale: handheld/modular field kits; regional baseline mapping.

Operating Principle

A scintillation counter measures gamma radiation; an AI model matches the gamma signature against a library of NORM minerals (monazite, uranothorianite, thorite, xenotime, bastnaesite) to flag radioactive contamination; trace isotopic mass profiling confirms the specific radioisotopes in gold samples. Output: a pass/flag radiological result and a dose/exposure reading.

Limitations: detector sensitivity vs sample geometry; AI model needs calibrated gamma-signature libraries; isotopic profiling requires lab-grade instruments for confirmation.

Key Parameters

Measured field radiation: 10–50 μSv/h in some unregulated pits (far above safe occupational thresholds).

Target minerals: monazite, uranothorianite, thorite, xenotime, bastnaesite (often co-transported with alluvial gold).

Methods: handheld scintillation spectrometry; AI gamma-fingerprint detection; isotopic mass profiling. Output: radiological compliance result + dose reading.

Architecture and Components

Handheld scintillation detector; AI gamma-signature classifier (calibrated library); isotopic profiling (lab confirmation); regional gamma baseline maps; compliance-certification toolset. Modular field kit.

Advantages

Technical: detects NORM that current gold trade does not test for; field-deployable; AI signature matching.

Economic: low-cost screening prevents costly export rejections and liability; enables a new radiological-compliance certification service.

Environmental/health: protects artisanal miners from unmonitored dose; flags NORM entering water/tailings.

Strategic: closes a blind spot in "clean gold" ESG and traceability (LBMA/RMI), pre-empting export bans and disputes.

Integrations

Complements ARBOK gold extraction (ARBOK-GOLD) and radionuclide handling (ARBOK-Phosphate); feeds traceability systems (LBMA, RMI); customs and ESG-audit workflows.

Deployment & Operation

Steps: build calibrated gamma-signature library → deploy field kits → screen at pit/pre-export → certify. Establish regional baseline maps of gold corridors (e.g., Ankazobe, Andavakoera, Bekisopa).

TRL

TRL 4 (confirmed by Michael). Radiation risks identified and quantified; screening-tool concept and early design / feasibility underway (scintillation + AI calibration + isotopic profiling). Remaining: prototype kit, calibrated library, field validation.

Market Potential

Growing ESG and regulatory scrutiny of mineral supply chains, plus EU/customs import controls, create demand for radiological compliance in gold. Applicable across NORM-bearing gold corridors worldwide (Madagascar example: Ampanihy/Andavakoera/Andrafiamena).

Typical Project Economics

Low-cost field kits + a certification service model; value is avoided export rejections, liability, and worker-health cost. (Kit BOM, certification pricing, and rollout economics to be specified.)

Risk Factors

Detector sensitivity/false positives; AI library calibration and validation; regulatory acceptance of a new certification; isotopic confirmation needs lab support; early-stage design.

Related Technologies

ARBOK-GOLD · ARBOK-Phosphate · ARBOK-Tritium