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Past history has explained the importance of Peninsular Malaysia as the greatest tin
producing country in the world, with 30 – 50% of the world's annual tin production in the
mid-1960s were produced from the rich-stanniferous areas; most notably in Kinta Valley and
Klang Valley. However, due to the dramatic depletion of cassiterite reserves, a newly
economic activity of amang processing industry has emerged. Amang is locally coined name
for tin-tailing in Malaysia. It mass productivity in mineral processing industry has been
publically recognised as a TENORM after long period time of its recoveries for commodity
and trade values since early 80’s. Amang composed of extremely high radionuclide
concentrations from U238 and Th232 – series, varies from a few hundred - 60,000 ppm.
Radiological safety concern and risks against ionising radiation exposure to workers as well
as member of public in immediate vicinity emerged due to elevated ambient gamma radiation
exposure, inhalation of radon and long-lived airborne radioactive dust and unavoidable soil
contamination from past operational process of tin and amang mineral. The highest gamma
absorbed dose rate recorded in open air at the amang processing plant was exceeding 100,000
nGy h-1 owing to huge open-air mineral stockpiles. Mineral segregation activities in the
amang processing plant have been identified as a source of releases of air-borne alphaemitters
with an exposure equivalent to few tenths – 281.27 mSv yr-1. Substandard and poor
operational practices e.g., feeding task of mineral into magnetic or electrostatic separators
using hand and buckets could liberate more radioactive dust in air. Storing and dumping
amang mineral inside storeroom have been identified as a source of high accumulation of
radon and thoron gases ~ few Bq l-1 to 160 Bq l-1. The exacerbating circumstance arises as the
industries practicing unsystematic working environment, with poor hygiene working
environment. Some plants have been spotted fail to comply with basic occupational health
and safety legislation for instance implementation of film badge, protective mask and cloth
during operations. This indicated feeble radiological protection consideration in amang plant
against hazardous radiation in Peninsular Malaysia. Statistical graphical and hypothesis tests
show that the catastrophic impact on ecology system emerged as results from soil
contamination due to past operational processing minerals. This paper review occupational
exposure and radioactivity associated with amang processing minerals in Peninsular Malaysia
with statistical evaluations of mineral inventories, cumulative probability analyses of
threshold values, and assessment cancer and mortality risks among amang workers.
