Abstract
Airborne radon concentration at any given location is influenced by locally exhaled radon and dispersed radon from other locations. As a means of trying to discriminate between different radon contributors, radon gas, individual radon daughters or progenies, and the equilibrium factor were measured at different receptor points downwind and upwind of a mine tailings storage facility by following the direction of the wind at hourly intervals. The AlphaGUARD PQ2000 PRO model active radon monitor was used to measure radon concentration, and the Eberline SPA-1A alpha scintillation detector coupled to Eberline Smart Portable 2 counter was used to measure the radon daughter concentrations. The Busigin and Phillips three-count method was used to calculate the radon daughter concentrations, and hence the equilibrium factor. The minimum value of equilibrium factor was 0.016 ± 0.012 measured upwind, whereas the maximum value was 0.502 ± 0.044 measured downwind. The results revealed strong influence by external meteorological effects on the distribution of radon and radon daughters some distance from the tailings and background. The equilibrium factor, which indicates the “age” of the gas, and radon gas concentrations, increased to their highest values in the mornings when the wind was blowing from north–north-east direction. The results confirmed that concentrations of radon and its daughters do not remain constant even under same distances from a tailings or same wind speeds. Furthermore, concentration changes by radioactive decay were overshadowed by other factors such as changing wind direction and local conditions of exhalation.
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Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited for permission to access their facility, the late Dirk Venter (MHSRIP) for logistical and technical support, EDTP SETA and Sol Plaatje University (Kimberley), Prof Victor Tshivhase and Prof Manny Matutu at the Centre for Applied Radiation Science and Technology (CARST), North West University for your support and for providing us with your equipment, Motheo Security (Welkom) and Sol Plaatje University Staff and 2018 third-year Data Science Students.
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Komati, F.S., Ntwaeaborwa, O.M. & Strydom, R. Assessing environmental radon contribution by different sources near a South African gold mine tailings. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 21, 5351–5366 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05363-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05363-0