The correction factors for UD802 dosimeters irradiated with different radiation energies and at different incidence angles

Many laboratories around the world work on the issue of protection against ionising radiation. It is a very broad topic, covering both the protection of members of the public and workers exposed to ionising radiation, based on personal or environmental monitoring. Thermoluminescence detectors are commonly used for this purpose, which is accepted in most countries. The entire process of dose evaluation with such dosimeters can be divided into several steps. Undoubtedly, one of the most important steps is the calibration procedure. The calibration should be performed in conditions as similar as possible to those experienced during the exposure. Moreover, the calibration is performed using only the Cs-137 source. This article presents results of Panasonic UD-802 irradiation dosimeters in different radiation fields generated by Cs-137, Kr-85, Sr-90/Y-90 and an x-ray tube, series N, and at different angles such as 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°. On the basis of the obtained results, the calibration coefficients and correction factors were determined in relation to calibration based on Cs-137 or Sr-90/Y-90 irradiated at 0°.

Long term changes in the concentration of radium in discharge waters of coal mines and Upper Silesian rivers

According to the latest guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, 2016), coal mining is one of the most important contributors to occupational exposure. Coal mining contributes about 45% of the total annual collective dose obtained by workers due to the exposure at places of working. One of the sources of exposure in mining are formation brines with elevated concentrations of natural radionuclides, the most common are radium ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra. Radium isotopes often occur in formation waters in underground collieries in the Upper Silesian region (USCB) in Poland. Significant amounts of radium remain underground in the form of radioactive deposits created as a result of spontaneous deposition or water treatment. This phenomenon leads to the increase of radiation hazard for miners. The remaining activities of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra are released into the rivers with mine effluents, causing the contamination of bottom sediments and river banks. The results of radioactivity monitoring of effluents and river waters are presented here to illustrate a trend of long-term changes in environmental contamination, caused by mining industry in the Upper Silesian Region.

Sample volume optimization for radon-in-water detection by liquid scintillation counting

Radon is used as environmental tracer in a wide range of applications particularly in aquatic environments. If liquid scintillation counting (LSC) is used as detection method the radon has to be transferred from the water sample into a scintillation cocktail. Whereas the volume of the cocktail is generally given by the size of standard LSC vials (20 ml) the water sample volume is not specified. Aim of the study was an optimization of the water sample volume, i.e. its minimization without risking a significant decrease in LSC count-rate and hence in counting statistics. An equation is introduced, which allows calculating the ²²²Rn concentration that was initially present in a water sample as function of the volumes of water sample, sample flask headspace and scintillation cocktail, the applicable radon partition coefficient, and the detected count-rate value. It was shown that water sample volumes exceeding about 900 ml do not result in a significant increase in count-rate and hence counting statistics. On the other hand, sample volumes that are considerably smaller than about 500 ml lead to noticeably lower count-rates (and poorer counting statistics). Thus water sample volumes of about 500-900 ml should be chosen for LSC radon-in-water detection, if 20 ml vials are applied.

Application of zeolites for radium removal from mine water

For removal of radium from saline waters in Upper Silesian mines, several methods of purification have been developed. The most efficient one is based on application of barium chloride, which was implemented in full technical scale in two Polish coal mines several years ago. Very good results of purification have been achieved-the removal efficiency exceeding 95% of the initial activity. Another possibility for the removal of different ions from salty waters and brines is the application of zeolites. We found that technique as a very promising method for removal of not only radium isotopes from mine waters but also other ions (barium, iron, manganese). Treatment of several various water samples has been done to assess the removal efficiency for natural radionuclides. Preliminary results show very good effects for radium isotopes as well as for barium ions. In the paper, a short description of laboratory results of the purification of mine waters with application of synthetic zeolites is presented.