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Radiation hazards in uranium mining. Epidemiological and dosimetric approaches

Abstract

Potential health hazards resulting from exposure to various sources of radiation associated with uranium mining have been reviewed: 1) epidemiological observations on groups of miners exposed in the past to high concentrations of radon progeny have been interpreted to suggest a lifetime risk of about 3 x 10{sup -4} lung cancers per WLM; 2) the total risk of serious health effects resulting from exposure of workers to whole body gamma-radiation might be taken to be about 2 x 10{sup -2} per Sv; and 3) the potential health effects of inhalation of thoron progeny or of radioactive ore dusts can only be estimated from dosimetric calculations. A review of the uncertainties involved in these calculations suggests that ICRP estimates of the potential toxicity of inhaled thoron progeny are as good as those for inhaled radon progeny. However, the potential health hazards from inhaled uranium and thorium ore dusts have probably been overestimated by a factor of 2 to 10-fold.
Publication Date:
Jan 01, 1989
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
AECL-9848; CONF-880452-
Reference Number:
SCA: 560161; 054000; PA: AIX-23:025723; SN: 92000685441
Resource Relation:
Conference: International workshop on radiological protection in mining,Darwin (Australia),4-8 Apr 1988; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1989
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; MINERS; EPIDEMIOLOGY; PERSONNEL DOSIMETRY; RADIATION HAZARDS; MEETINGS; LUNGS; RADON ISOTOPES; THORIUM MINERALS; URANIUM MINES; LEADING ABSTRACT; 560161; 054000; MAN; HEALTH AND SAFETY
OSTI ID:
10130319
Research Organizations:
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, ON (Canada). Chalk River Nuclear Labs.
Country of Origin:
Canada
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ON: DE92620382; TRN: CA9200025025723
Availability:
OSTI; NTIS (US Sales Only); INIS
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
25 p.
Announcement Date:
Jul 04, 2005

Citation Formats

Myers, D K, and Johnson, J R. Radiation hazards in uranium mining. Epidemiological and dosimetric approaches. Canada: N. p., 1989. Web.
Myers, D K, & Johnson, J R. Radiation hazards in uranium mining. Epidemiological and dosimetric approaches. Canada.
Myers, D K, and Johnson, J R. 1989. "Radiation hazards in uranium mining. Epidemiological and dosimetric approaches." Canada.
@misc{etde_10130319,
title = {Radiation hazards in uranium mining. Epidemiological and dosimetric approaches}
author = {Myers, D K, and Johnson, J R}
abstractNote = {Potential health hazards resulting from exposure to various sources of radiation associated with uranium mining have been reviewed: 1) epidemiological observations on groups of miners exposed in the past to high concentrations of radon progeny have been interpreted to suggest a lifetime risk of about 3 x 10{sup -4} lung cancers per WLM; 2) the total risk of serious health effects resulting from exposure of workers to whole body gamma-radiation might be taken to be about 2 x 10{sup -2} per Sv; and 3) the potential health effects of inhalation of thoron progeny or of radioactive ore dusts can only be estimated from dosimetric calculations. A review of the uncertainties involved in these calculations suggests that ICRP estimates of the potential toxicity of inhaled thoron progeny are as good as those for inhaled radon progeny. However, the potential health hazards from inhaled uranium and thorium ore dusts have probably been overestimated by a factor of 2 to 10-fold.}
place = {Canada}
year = {1989}
month = {Jan}
}