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Risk Assessment of Natural Radionuclide Contamination in Lead–Zinc Sulfide Ores Mining

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Abstract

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 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K 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 µSv/y, 1.05–17.00 µSv/y, and 1.20–19.20 µSv/y, respectively. For all lead–zinc ore samples, effective doses in various scenarios were lower than the intervention level (1.0 × 103 μSv/y) determined by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

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Acknowledgements

This work has been funded by the research councils of Yazd and Arak Universities, so the authors are grateful. The authors also thank the staff and the management of the Yazd zinc–lead mine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

    Mansoureh Tatari, Sahar Mandegari Meimandi & Hadi Lookzadeh

  2. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Arak University, Arak, Iran

    Reza Pourimani

  3. Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

    Mohamad Reza Samadzadeh Yazdi

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  1. Mansoureh Tatari
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  2. Reza Pourimani
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  3. Sahar Mandegari Meimandi
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  4. Mohamad Reza Samadzadeh Yazdi
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  5. Hadi Lookzadeh
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Correspondence to Mansoureh Tatari.

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Tatari, M., Pourimani, R., Meimandi, S.M. et al. Risk Assessment of Natural Radionuclide Contamination in Lead–Zinc Sulfide Ores Mining. Iran J Sci Technol Trans Sci 45, 383–389 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40995-020-01038-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40995-020-01038-4

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