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Evaluation of occupational radiological exposures associated with a low ore grade underground uranium mine of Bagjata, India

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Abstract

In an underground uranium mine, workers are mainly exposed to radon and its short-lived progenies and to external gamma radiation during their work. Assessment of radon and gamma radiation levels were carried out in Bagjata underground uranium mine to estimate the radiation dose to the miners and to adopt necessary control measures to minimize the radiation dose, accordingly. Scintillation cell technique and radiation survey meter were used to measure radon and gamma radiation levels in the mine workings, respectively. The values for radon concentrations in the mine were found to vary from 0.08 to 1.92 kBq m−3 with geometric mean (GM) of 0.23 kBq m−3. Further, gamma absorbed dose rates were found to oscillate between 0.09 and 6.93 μGy h−1, with GM of 0.86 μGy h−1. The total mean annual effective dose received by the members of radiation workers of Bagjata mine from internal and external exposure was estimated to be 3.2 mSv year−1 which is about 16 % of the prescribed dose limit of 20 mSv year−1, averaged over defined periods of 5 years.

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Acknowledgments

Authors express their sincere thanks to Dr. D. N. Sharma, Director, Health, Safety & Environment Group, BARC for his valuable suggestion and guidance from time to time. Thanks are due to authorities of Uranium Corporation of India Limited for extending the facilities and support to carry out the work. Co-operation received from Shri Nabin Kumar Majhi and Shri Girish Mardi of Health Physics Unit, UCIL, Jaduguda is duly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Physics Unit, Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, P.O. M. C. Palle, Kadapa District, 516349, India

    B. K. Rana

  2. Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India

    S. K. Sahoo, P. M. Ravi & R. M. Tripathi

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  1. B. K. Rana
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  2. S. K. Sahoo
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  4. R. M. Tripathi
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Correspondence to B. K. Rana.

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Rana, B.K., Sahoo, S.K., Ravi, P.M. et al. Evaluation of occupational radiological exposures associated with a low ore grade underground uranium mine of Bagjata, India. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 301, 9–16 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3123-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3123-0

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