Radon problems in mining and post-mining areas in Upper Silesia region, Poland

Abstract

The new basic safety standards (BSS) Directive 2013/59/Euratom [1] puts EU member states under an obligation to establish, amongst others, national radon action plans. In order to address the issue of long-term risks from radon exposures, it is important to identify areas where elevated levels of radon can be expected. One of the types of areas affected by an increased migration of radon and by the penetration of radon into buildings are areas in which industrial activity, for example, the exploitation of mineral resources, causes changes in the geological environment. The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) in Poland is one of the examples. The results of studies conducted in the past have shown that the levels of indoor concentration of radon, to a large extent, depend on the geological structure of the subsurface layers. One of the main factors influencing the migratory abilities of radon are the mining-induced changes of a rock body. We estimate that in specific radon-prone zones, the levels of radon may exceed 300 Bq/m3 in approximately 2% of the dwellings. Another problem that may appear in post-mining areas is linked to the reclamation of radioactively contaminated areas. The complex geology of the strata in USCB, the mining activity that can be observed in the region and, additionally, the discharge of radium-bearing waters into the environment are the most significant factors affecting radon potential and hazard in dwellings in this region. In this paper, problems linked to the detection of radon in the mining area of USCB are presented.

Identification of high radon dwellings, risk of exposure, and geogenic potential in the mining area of the “TREPČA” complex

“…Therefore, the population is inevitably exposed to permanent radon levels, which can significantly differ from dwelling to dwelling. Wysocka 15 reported that indoor radon concentrations in mining and post‐mining areas exceeded the value of 300 Bq/m 3 in 2% of dwellings, whereas Ivanova and Badulin 19 reported that 50% of residential buildings in former uranium areas were above this reference level. Recently, Pressyanov 20 reported that 74% of houses were above 300 Bq/m 3 in Yana District, Bulgaria.…”

The Assessment of Radon Emissions as Results of the Soil Technogenic Disturbance

“…This process has been studied in the coal mining regions of Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, etc. [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. High concentrations of radon in soil air in all studies of similar areas in the UK, Germany, Poland, and Ukraine have been recorded.…”

Radon levels and indoor air quality after application of thermal retrofit measures—a case study

“…Otherwise, high indoor radon levels in dwellings were reported for this region (Gulan et al 2017 ). The main factors which influence the abilities of radon migration are the mining induced changes of rock body (exploitation of mineral resources); in such regions, radon may exceed 300 Bq/m 3 in about 2% of buildings (Wysocka 2016 ). In earlier survey, indoor radon concentrations were measured with CR-39 detectors in this building in heating season (winter-spring, 6 months) in offices 7 and 14 (Table 1 ) (Gulan et al 2017 ).…”