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RADON HAZARD IN UPPER SILESIAN REGION

Jan Skowronek, Ma ³ gorzata Wysocka, Antoni Mielnikow
Central Mining Institute
Plac Gwarków 1 40-166 Katowice, Poland
Tel.: +48-32-592382 Fax: +49-32-596533 E-mail: brxjs@boruta.gig.katowice.pl

Nowadays augmented risk of a lung and larynx cancers as a result of the exposure on radon is not only
known fact, but also the most important effect of the influence of the natural radioactivity on the
general public. There is no doubt, that quite often miners are more endangered by enhanced radon
exposures as other members of the society.
Upper Silesia is the region of the extended underground mining industry, mainly of a hard coal, but
also the metal ore mining. Measurements of radon concentration in the mines were started in 70’ties
and since late 80’ties are obligatory due to Polish mining law.
In last few years measurements of radon concentration in dwellings have been performed in Upper
Silesia. Due to the literature, radon exhalation from the soil is stated as the most important factor,
influencing radon concentration in houses. The Upper Silesia is the region strongly affected by
mining, where the influence of this industry on the structure of the upper layers of the strata may
cause enhanced emission of radon from the ground and therefore the enhanced radiation hazard for the
The measurements of radon concentrations in houses was performed in two different areas of Upper
Silesia. The average radon concentration in the northern part of Upper Silesia (in all sampling points)
is 99 Bq/m 3 , while in living areas the average value is lower and equal 65 Bq/m 3 . Results of
measurement varied from 8 Bq/m 3 to 697 Bq/m 3 in a cellar and to 362 Bq/m 3 in a habitable room.
In the southern and western parts of Upper Silesia, where thick, isolating layers of silts and clays
occur, results of radon measurements vary between 8 and 128 Bq/m 3 . The average radon
concentration for this part of USCB is of about 42 Bq/m 3 . We found no increase of radon
concentration in houses located near places contaminated by radium-bearing mine waste waters. It
leads to the conclusion, that even the close vicinity of the radioactive waters or deposits does not
cause an increase of radon concentration in dwellings. Such conclusion can be drawn from the results
of measurements, done nearby Jastrz ê bianka river and settling ponds Bojszowy and Rontok.
Results of the preliminary monitoring show, that the main factor, affecting the radon concentration in
dwellings is the lithology of the underlying strata. The influence of the geological structure may be
intensified by coal mining. The presence of a shallow, abandoned workings near the surface as well as
a big number of faults enables easier migration of different gases and of course, migration of radon.
In this paper results of radiation risk assessment for coal miners will be presented. The highest value
of dose received by exposure to the short lived radon daughter products diminished from 16,2
mSv/year in 1993 to 5-7 mSv/year in 1996-7. The collective dose was diminished too: from 296 man-Sv
in 1993 to 56 man-Sv in 1997.
Key words: radon, radon daughter products, radon hazard in mines, radon hazard in buildings