Radon Dosimetry in Nchanga Underground Mine on the Copperbelt Province of Zambia

Abstract

Abstract A Gamma Ray Spectrometer was used to quantify 222Rn activity in 27 water samples from Nchanga Under Ground Mine on the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The content of 222Rn in water ranged from 100 to 3,710 Bq/m3 with an average of 1,077.59 ± 0.73 Bq/m3. The calculated radon concentration was compared to the underground mining industry's 500 Bq/m3 action limit. According to statistics, over 82 percent of tested locations exceeded the action limit, while only 41 percent exceeded the agreed limit of 1,000 Bq/m3. To estimate the radiological radon risk presented to mines, the annual effective dose (AED) due to inhalation were determined from radon concentrations. The AED values ranged from 0.77×10− 4 to 26.71×10− 4 mSvy1 with a mean of 7.76×10− 4±5.4×10− 7 mSvy− 1, much below the recommended limit of 20 mSvy− 1. On the other hand, the gamma dose rate measured using a survey meter varied from 0.26 to 0.66 mSvy− 1, with a mean value of 0.41 mSvy− 1. The results revealed that radon emanating from the NUG mine water was very low. As a consequence, miners may operate safely with little radioactive risk.