Enhanced natural radioactivity, environmental radioactive contamination and radon

Enhanced natural radioactivity, environmental radioactive contamination and radon

In non nuclear industry, sometimes situations can arise were enhanced levels of natural radioactivity occur. This is usually the case were ores or base products with enhanced levels of radioactivity are treated in such a way that the radioactivity concentrates in waste, by products, or remains in the main production stream to end up in the finished products.

Examples are the phosphate industry, fly ash production by burning of coal, ferro and non ferro industries producing slag or filter dust with enhanced natural radioactivity etc.

Usually the concerned isotopes consist of the decay chain of ²³⁸U, with ²²⁶Ra, ²²²Rn and ²¹⁰Po as most prominent members, or the decay chain of ²³²Th with ²²⁸Ra as prominent member.

Depending on the specific production processes, these radioisotopes can become dispersed in the environment, sometimes causing large affected areas. Also dispersion through recycling of waste or by-products, for example for use in building or construction materials is a possibility.

Our offer

We offer the possibility to assess large environmental contaminations with natural (or other) radioactivity, in terms of identification of isotopes concerned, and assessment of severity and health risks combined with advise for possible remediation or land use restrictions.

We can also perform 'zero level' radioactivity assessments, to establish the radiological situation prior to installing activities prone to enhance the levels of radioactivity in the environment, such storage of waste with enhanced natural radioactivity, industries processing ores with enhanced natural radioactivity or even new nuclear activities. Such 'zero levels' can later be used as reference to asses the impact of the newly installed facilities.

Our equipment

• We have a small handheld system for measuring georeferenced gamma dose rates in the environment, useable on areas that are only accessible on foot. (typically a few tens to a few hundred hectares)
• We are developing a similar car based system, for identifying radionuclides and measuring contamination levels, on much larger areas accessible by road.
• We are developing a similar airborne system for even larger areas.
• We can produce maps of the measured contaminations through elaboration on a GIS system.
• We have limited resources for continuously and actively monitoring radon levels in closed environments. We can perform occasional passive long term integrating radon measurements.
• We collaborate with other laboratories at SCK•CEN for assessing the radioactivity concentrations in samples collected during in situ sampling campaigns, or in ores, primary products, waste or by- products, finished products etc.

Related research

The unit Biosphere Impact Studies also evaluates the behaviour of natural radionuclides in the terrestrial and aquatic environment and studies the effects of exposure to uranium on terrestrial and aquatic plants.