EFFECT OF WORKING CONDITIONS AND NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY LEVELS ON OCCUPATIONAL DOSES TO WORKERS OF AN OLD MANGANESE MINE

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this work was to use RESRAD-Build model to predict the resulting external and internal radiological doses received by the workers of manganese mine located in Southern Sinai. In order to achieve that goal, measurement of the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in rock samples collected from the inside gallery of such mine, using hyper pure germanium (HPGe) detector. Radon gas concentrations were also measured. The average activity concentrations of 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 210Pb in rock samples were 207.3, 155.5, 59.7, 304.5 and 119.3 Bq kg–1, respectively. The average radon activity concentration was 1254.6 Bqm−3, which is equivalent to 0.135 WL. The radon concentration increases further as going deep inside the mine up to 6238 Bqm−3. RESRAD-Build model occupational effective dose equivalent (EDE) received by the workers, from natural radionuclides, dominated by 222Rn emanated from the parent nuclide 226Ra.There was good agreement between the occupational annual EDE calculated from the measured rock samples and that predicted by modeling, with estimated values of 83.8 and 82.1 mSvy−1, respectively. This radiological dose assessment indicated the predominance of internal pathways owing to radon decay products, in both cases (measured and modeled). The occupational radiological dose from the inhalation of radon and radon decay products resulted in a high lung cancer risk based on the current measurements and ventilation conditions within the mine.