Radioactivity of mining sites of lead, zinc and phosphate ores in Serbia (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry
This study examined the radioactivity levels of soil samples within selected solid mining sites in Nigeria using high purity germanium (HpGe) detector. Sixty soil samples in all were collected from the ten solid mineral mining sites investigated and six samples were collected as control samples from non-mining environment for analyses. The results of the activity concentration values obtained for 40 K, 226 Ra and 232 Th are 100.22 Bq kg-1 , 33.15 Bq kg-1 and 77.31 Bq kg-1 respectively. The 226 Ra and 40 K activities were found to be within the United Nation Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) acceptable permissible limit, but the 232 Th mean value was above the permissible limit of 30 Bq kg-1 for the public. In comparison, 40 K, 226 Ra and 232 Th soil samples mean activity concentrations were higher than the control soil samples values by 48.6%, 43.7% and 62.3% respectively. The results of estimated radiation hazard indices indicate average values of 150.72 Bq kg-1 , 68.40η ℎ , 83.65µSvy-1 and 454.70µSvy-1 for the Radium Equivalent (Ra), Absorbed Dose Rate (D), Dose Equivalent (AEDE) and Annual Gonadal Equivalent Dose (AGED) respectively. The mean values for External Hazard Indices (Hex, Hin), Representative Gamma index () and Excess Life Cancer Risk (ELCR) were 0.41, 0.50, 1.06 and 0.29 x10-3 respectively. The statistical analysis shows positive skewness.
Risk Assessment of Natural Radionuclide Contamination in Lead–Zinc Sulfide Ores Mining
Iranian Journal of Science and Technology Transaction A-science, 2020
Lead and zinc ores are the most important natural raw materials widely used in the industry. These types of ores contain different amounts of radionuclides that expose workers to radiation during extraction, transport, and processing. In this study, 22 samples were collected, including 18 samples of lead-zinc ore and 4 samples of mining waste. Specific activities of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K were determined using a high-purity germanium gamma radiation detector (HPGe). The specific activities of corresponding radionuclides in lead-zinc ore samples varied in the range (\ 0.21-107.61), (1.91-48.13), and (\ 10.16-664.04) in Bq/kg, respectively. According to the European Commission's dose assessment instruction for workers, the effective dose absorption was calculated for different scenarios, as transport, outdoor storage, and internal storage, which varied from 0.76 to 10.23 lSv/y, 1.05-17.00 lSv/y, and 1.20-19.20 lSv/y, respectively. For all lead-zinc ore samples, effective doses in various scenarios were lower than the intervention level (1.0 9 10 3 lSv/y) determined by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.
ENHANCED NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY IN POLISH HARD COAL MINING INDUSTRY
The radiation risk due to the exposure to natural radionuclides, especially to short-lived radon progeny, is a component of the radiation hazard, common in the natural environment and working environment of people. The effective dose, caused by the exposure to radon (radon progeny), exceeds 50% of the average dose for a man from all sources of the ionising radiation. Under specific circumstances, for example as a result of working in confined space with low ventilation rate (cellars, underground galleries, tunnels, mines), the risk caused by radon and its progeny can be enhanced and can reach significant levels. In Polish mining industry the radiation hazard, caused by natural radionuclides is one among many other natural hazards. It is worth to be point out that besides radon another source of radiation hazard in coal mines is radium, present in underground brines. Sediments, precipitated out from such waters, have enhanced radium content and may cause the increase of external gamm...
Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 2015
Mining workers are exposed to radiation in the process of extracting minerals from the earth crust. In this research, activity concentration of the radionuclides in samples collected at different depths in Komu (0e220 ft) and Olode (0e30 ft) mining sites, Oyo State, Nigeria and the associated workers' radiological risks were assessed. Gemstones from these sites are mined for local and international markets. The radionuclide contents of the samples were determined using Gamma spectroscopy technique. At Komu, 238 U and 232 Th concentrations, with few exceptions, increased with depth while that of 40 K had no defined pattern. At Olode site, 238 U and 232 Th concentrations decreased with depth while that of 40 K was almost constant. Internal hazard indices at Komu in some cases indicated an unacceptable level of risk to workers. Workers' doses would have been underestimated by between 12 and 55% if the activity concentrations of samples in the pit were not included in the calculation.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2013
The Kurday uranium mining site in Kazakhstan operated from 1954 to 1965 as part of the USSR nuclear weapon programme. To assess the environmental impact of radionuclides and trace elements associated with the Kurday mining site, field expeditions were performed in 2006. In addition to in situ gamma and 220 Rn dose rate measurements, sampling included at site fractionation of water as well as sampling of water, fish, sediment, soils and vegetation. The concentrations of U and associated trace metals were enriched in the Pit Lake and in the artesian water (U exceeding the WHO guideline value for drinking water), and decreased downstream from the mining area. Uranium, As, Mo and Ni were predominantly present as mobile low molecular mass species in waters, while a significant proportion of Cr, Mn and Fe were associated with colloids and particles. Due to oxidation of divalent iron in the artesian ground water upon contact with air, Fe served as scavenger for other elements, and peak concentrations of U-, Ra-isotopes, As and Mn were seen. Most radionuclides and trace elements were contained in minerals in soils and sediments, and good correlations were obtained between U and As, Cd, Mo and 226 Ra. Based on sequential extractions, a significant fraction of U, Pb and Cd could be considered mobile. Radioactive particles carrying significant amount of trace metals may represent a hazard during strong wind events. The transfer of radionuclides and metals from soils or sediments to water was in general low. The Kd levels varied with the element in question, ranging from 0.5 to 3 Â 10 2 L/kg d.w. for 238 U being relatively mobile, 10 3 for 226 Ra, As, Cd, Ni, to 10 4 L/kg d.w. for Cu, Cr and Pb being rather inert The transfer of radionuclides and metals from soils to vegetation (TF) was low, while higher if the transfer to vegetation, especially underwater mosses, occurred via water (e.g., BCF 37 L/kg w.w. for 238 U and 3 Â 10 3 L/kg w.w. for 226 Ra). The transfer of Cd, Pb and As from water to fish liver (BCF) was rather high, showing BCFs in the range of 10 2 e10 3 L/kg w.w., and may, if eaten, represent a health risk. Furthermore, the high Hg level in fish filet reaching 0.3 mg/kg w.w. muscle and the tendency of biomagnification call for dietary restrictions. Total gamma and Rn dose rate to man amounted to about 6 mSv/y, while the highest calculated dose rate for non-human species based on the ERICA Assessment Tool were obtained in aquatic plants, with calculated mean doses of 700 mGy/hr, mostly due to the U exposure. Overall, it is concluded that measures such as restricted access to the Pit Lake as well as dietary restrictions with respect to drinking water and intake of fish should be taken to reduce the environmental risk to man and biota.
SpringerPlus, 2016
Levels of naturally occurring radioactive materials prior to processing of gold ore within and around the new eastern concession area of Perseus Mining (Ghana) Limited were carried out to ascertain the baseline radioactivity levels. The study was based on situ measurements of external gamma dose rate at 1 m above ground level as well as laboratory analysis by direct gamma spectrometry to quantify the radionuclides of interest namely; 238U, 232Th and 40K in soil, rock, ore samples and gross alpha/beta analysis in water samples. The average absorbed dose rate in air at 1 m above sampling point using a radiation survey metre was determined to be 0.08 ± 0.02 μGyh−1 with a corresponding average annual effective dose calculated to be 0.093 ± 0.028 mSv. The average activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in the soil, rock, and ore samples were 65.1 ± 2.2, 71.8 ± 2.2 and 1168.3 Bqkg−1 respectively resulting in an average annual effective dose of 0.91 ± 0.32 mSv. The average Radium equivalent activity value was 257.8 ± 62.4 Bqkg−1 in the range of 136.6–340.2 Bqkg−1. The average values of external and internal indices were 0.7 ± 0.2 and 0.9 ± 0.2 respectively. The average gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations in the water samples were determined to be 0.0032 ± 0.0024 and 0.0338 ± 0.0083 Bql−1 respectively. The total annual effective dose from the pathways considered for this study (gamma ray from the soil, rock and ore samples as well as doses determined from the gross alpha/beta activity concentration in water samples) was calculated to be 0.918 mSv. The results obtained in this study shows that the radiation levels are within the natural background radiation levels found in literature and compare well with similar studies for other countries and the total annual effective dose is below the ICRP recommended level of 1 mSv for public exposure control.
International Journal of Modern Research in Engineering and Technology
This study presents results of Activity Concentrations, Absorbed dose rate and the Annual Effective dose rates of naturally occurring radionuclides (40 K, 232 Th and 226 Ra) absorbed in 8 soil samples collected from different areas within the Ajiwei mining sites in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. A laboratory γ-ray spectrometry NaI (Tl) at the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT), Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, was used to carry out the analysis of the soil samples. The values of Activity Concentration for 40 K ranged from 421.6174 ± 7.9316 to 768.7403 ± 7.9315; for 226 Ra it ranged from 20.6257 ± 2.0858 to 44.0324 ± 5.0985 and for 232 Th the ranged is from 23.7172 ± 1.3683 to 62.7137 ± 4.1049 Bq.Kg-1. While the Absorbed Dose for 40 K ranged from 17.5814 ± 0.3307 to 32.0565 ± 0.3307 ŋGy.h-1 , for 226 Ra the range is from 9.5291 ± 0.9636 to 20.3430 ± 2.3555 ŋGy.h-1 and for 232 Th range from 14.3252 ± 0.4414 to 37.8791 ± 2.4794 ŋGy.h-1. The total average Absorbed Dose rate of the 8 soil samples collected is 63.7877 ŋGy.h-1 and the estimated Annual Effective Dose for the sampled areas range from 0.0636-0.1028mSvy-1 (i.e 64-103 μSv.y-1), with an average Annual Effective Dose of 0.0782 mSv.y-1 (i.e. 78.2 μSv.y-1). These results show's that the radiation exposure level reaching members of the public in the study areas is lower than the recommended limit value of 1 mSv.y-1 (UNSCEAR, 2000). Also the mean Radium Equivalents obtained ranged from 107.3259 BqKg-1 (AJ1) to 179.4064 BqKg-1 (AJ4). These results show that the recommended Radium Equivalent Concentration is ≤ 370 BqKg-1 which is the requirement for soil materials to be used for dwellings, this implies that the soil from this site is suitable use for residential buildings. The mean External Hazard Index (H ext) ranged from 0.1229 Bqkg-1 (AJ3) to 0.4226 Bqkg-1 (AJ7).. While the maximum allowed value of (H ext = 1) corresponds to the upper limit of Ra eq (370 BqKg-1) in order to limit the external gamma radiation dose from the soil materials to 1.5 mGy y-1. That is, this Index should be equal to or less than unity (H ext ≤ = 1). Furthermore, the mean Internal Hazard Index (H ext) ranged from 0.3456 Bqkg-1 (AJ1) to 0.6453 Bqkg-1 (AJ2) .Finally, the mean value of the Excess Alpha Radiation (I α) ranged from 0.1031 Bq.Kg-1 (AJ1) to 0.2202 Bq.Kg-1 (AJ3. All these values for I α are below the maximum permissible value of I α = 1 which corresponds to 200 Bq.Kg-1. It can therefore be said that no radiological hazard is envisaged to dwellers of the study areas and the miners working on those sites area.
Research Square (Research Square), 2022
The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides 238 U, 232 Th and 40 K in soil samples from the Tin mining in Kyerwa District were measured by gamma spectrometry using Sodium Iodide detector. The results showed that, the mean activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K were 90.68, 65.45 and 630.95Bq/kg, respectively. All the activity concentrations in the studied samples were higher than the world average values of 32Bq/kg for 226 Ra, 45Bq/kg for 232 Th and 420Bq/kg for 40 K. Radiological hazard assessments due to these natural radionuclides were carried out. The radium equivalent activity (Ra eq), external hazard index (H ex), internal hazard index (H in) and radioactivity level Index (Iγ) were calculated to assess the radiological hazards due to presence of natural radionuclides in the soil samples. The results showed that the mean values of Ra eq , H ex , H in and Iγ were 230.6, 0.628, 0.861 and 0.831Bq/kg, respectively. These values were lower than the world criteria values 370 for Ra eq , ≤ 1 for H ex , ≤ 1 for H in and ≤ 1 for Iγ respectively. Absorbed Dose Rate in Air (D R), Annual Effective Dose Equivalent (AEDE) and Annual gonadal equivalent dose (AGED) were also estimated for the mining areas in Kyerwa. The results showed that the mean values for D R , AEDE and AGED were 106.8nGy/h, 1.07mSv/y, and 744.4µSvy-1 respectively. The mean values were higher than those of the worldwide average which are 57 nGyh − 1 for D R , 0.07mSv/y for AEDE and 2984µSvy-1 for AGED. Therefore, mining activities in Kyerwa District can poses radiological hazard to the mining community. In this study therefore, we recommend performing periodical inspection at the mining areas, monitoring of the mining workers and the level of activity concentrations of different radionuclides in the mining area.
Applied Sciences
The specific activity and spatial distribution of 238U, 232Th and 40K were determined in the surface soil from the Lișava uranium mining sector. This sector belongs to the Banat district, an historically important uranium mining area in Romania (an area with closed uranium mines and a radioactive waste dump). Gamma-ray spectrometry using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector was used to measure the activity of naturally occurring radionuclides in the soil. The average specific activities of 238U, 232Th and 40K in the soil were 197.21 Bq/kg for 238U, 16.21 Bq/kg for 232Th and 543.21 Bq/kg for 40K. The mineral contents of selected waste rock samples (sandstones) were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which revealed that brannerite, pitchblende and coffinite were the most important uranium-bearing minerals. The means of the radiological hazard parameters were calculated to be 262.22 Bq/kg radium equivalent activity (Raeq), 123.72 nGy/h absorbed gamma dose rates (DR...
Natural radiation and its hazard in copper ore mines in Poland
Acta Geophysica, 2008
The doses of gamma radiation, concentrations of radium isotopes in water and sediments, radon concentration and concentration of alpha potential energy of radon decay products in the copper ore mine and in the mining region in the vicinity of Lubin town in Poland are presented. These data served as a basis for the assessment of radiological hazard to the mine workers and general public. The results of this assessment indicate that radiological hazard in the region does not differ substantially from typical values associated with natural radiation background. The calculated average annual effective dose for copper miners is 1.48 mSv. In general, copper ore mines can be regarded as radiologically safe workplaces.