Monitoring of external radiation in uranium mines is essential to maintain the radiation levels within safe limits. In this study, ambient radiation doses were measured around uranium outcrops and mining waste in Turkey. Ambient gamma radiation doses were measured with a portable Spectroscopic Radiation Detector (SPRD). Absorbed dose rates and radioactivity values were used to calculate annual effective dose (AED). The measurements were performed from different places of the outcrops and excavated uranium ore piles in the research area. The radioactivity of these materials depends on the grade of ore and varies from less than 1 Bq per gram to more than 100 Bq. The principal radiation risks from these types of natural uranium ores are gamma radiation. The gamma radiation comes from radium decay. In several places, mining waste and low-grade uranium ore left on the surface contain radioactivity above regional background. Depend on the radiation measurements, health and environmental impacts were evaluated. Results from this preliminary environmental assessment indicate that gamma dose rates in the air of uranium outcrops ranged between 0,52 µGy/h and 2,21 µGy/h. The calculated AED values show that annual effective dose with an average value of 0,12 mSv/y and 6,79 mSv/y depend on the estimated occupational time. These values are higher than the world average values.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Exposure, Radiation, Environmental Assessment, Dose, Uranium
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