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Radiological aspects of former mining activities in the Saxon Erzgebirge, Germany
AbstractIn the Middle Ages, rich silver occurrences were exploited intensively in the Saxon Erzgebirge. The unprofitable ores, the socalled “pechblende”, were dumped as waste materials in the environment. The high uranium and radium contents of these rocks prompted later investigations by Henri Bequerel and Marie Curie. In the city of Schneeberg, most of the houses were built directly on these waste materials. Furthermore, the whole subsoil is crossed by a system of numerous pits and adits; therefore, radon gas from the soil can easily penetrate into the houses. The radon exhalation rates from the soil and also from ground floors in this region increase to values of about 1 Bq/m2.s. In some houses in Schneeberg, 222Rn concentrations of about 50 kBq/m3 were found in the living rooms. Maximum values in the cellars were about 200 kBq/m3. From the inhalation of its short-lived radon daughters, an effective dose of about 1.2 Sv/y may result. Mitigation methods like insulation and subsoil ventilation are proposed, and the efficiency of the different measures are discussed.
Radiological aspects of former mining activities in the Saxon Erzgebirge, Germany
AbstractIn the Middle Ages, rich silver occurrences were exploited intensively in the Saxon Erzgebirge. The unprofitable ores, the socalled “pechblende”, were dumped as waste materials in the environment. The high uranium and radium contents of these rocks prompted later investigations by Henri Bequerel and Marie Curie. In the city of Schneeberg, most of the houses were built directly on these waste materials. Furthermore, the whole subsoil is crossed by a system of numerous pits and adits; therefore, radon gas from the soil can easily penetrate into the houses. The radon exhalation rates from the soil and also from ground floors in this region increase to values of about 1 Bq/m2.s. In some houses in Schneeberg, 222Rn concentrations of about 50 kBq/m3 were found in the living rooms. Maximum values in the cellars were about 200 kBq/m3. From the inhalation of its short-lived radon daughters, an effective dose of about 1.2 Sv/y may result. Mitigation methods like insulation and subsoil ventilation are proposed, and the efficiency of the different measures are discussed.
Radiological aspects of former mining activities in the Saxon Erzgebirge, Germany
Keller, Gert (author)
Environmental International ; 19 ; 449-454
1993-05-09
6 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Radiological aspects of former mining activities in the Saxon Erzgebirge, Germany
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