Short-term radon activity concentration changes along the Underground Educational Tourist Route in the Old Uranium Mine in Kletno (Sudety Mts., SW Poland)

Fijałkowska-Lichwa, Lidia

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.03.014

Cited by 25 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The summer months are characterized by extremely high concentration (100e600 kBq m À3 ). In the winter months, both the mean value and the variability of the radon concentration drop to some kBq m À3 (see also Garavaglia et al, 1998;Przylibski, 1999;Martin-Luis et al, 2002;Perrier et al, 2007;Gregori c et al, 2011;Loisy and Cerepi, 2012;Fijałkowska-Lichwa, 2014). Fig.…”

Section: Data Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of temperature and barometric pressure variation effects on radon concentration in the Sopronbánfalva Geodynamic Observatory, Hungary

Mentes

Eper-Pápai

2015

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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Radon concentration variation has been monitored since 2009 in the artificial gallery of the Sopronbánfalva Geodynamic Observatory, Hungary. In the observatory, the radon concentration is extremely high, 100 -600 kBq m-3 in summer and some kBq m-3 in winter. The relationships between radon concentration, temperature and barometric pressure were separately investigated in the summer and winter months by Fast Fourier Transform, Principal Component Analysis, Multivariable Regression and Partial Least Square analyses in different frequency bands. It was revealed that the long-period radon concentration variation is mainly governed by the temperature (20 kBq m-1 °C-1) both in summer and winter. The regression coefficients between long-period radon concentration and barometric pressure are -1.5 KBq m-3 hPa-1 in the summer and 5 KBq m-3 hPa-1 in the winter months. In the 0.072-0.48 cpd frequency band the effect of the temperature is about -1 kBq m-3 °C-1 and that of the barometric pressure is -5 KBq m-3 hPa-1 in summer and -0.5 KBq m-3 hPa-1 in winter. In the high frequency range (> 0.48 cpd) all regression coefficients are one order of magnitude smaller than in the range of 0.072-0.48 cpd. Fast Fourier Transform of the radon concentration, temperature and barometric pressure time series revealed S1, K1, P1, S2, K2, M2 tidal constituents in the data and week O1 components in the radon concentration and barometric pressure series. A detailed tidal analysis, however, showed that the radon tidal components are not directly driven by the gravitational force but rather by solar radiation and barometric tide. Principal Component Analysis of the raw data was performed to investigate the yearly, summer and winter variability of the radon concentration, temperature and barometric pressure. In the summer and winter periods the variability does not change. The higher variability of the radon concentration compared to the variability of the temperature and the barometric pressure shows that besides the temperature and barometric pressure variations other agents, e.g. natural ventilation of the observatory, wind, etc. also play an important role in the radon concentration variation. Sopronbánfalva Geodynamic Observatory, Hungary. In the observatory, the radon 7 concentration is extremely high, 100 -600 kBq m -3 in summer and some kBq m -3 in winter. 8The relationships between radon concentration, temperature and barometric pressure were

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Section: Data Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of temperature and barometric pressure variation effects on radon concentration in the Sopronbánfalva Geodynamic Observatory, Hungary

Mentes

Eper-Pápai

2015

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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“…1C; Pulina, 1977;Cię _ zkowski, 1989Cię _ zkowski, , 1996Kozłowski, 1989). The plan of the Underground Educational Tourist Route in the Old Uranium Mine in Kletno has been published by FijałkowskaeLichwa (2014).…”

Section: Study Objectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was opened to visitors in 2002. In the 50's of the last century this mine extracted first uranium ores, and the second by fluorite's deposits (Cię _ zkowski & Gustaw, 2007;Cię _ zkowski & Krahl, 2001;FijałkowskaeLichwa, 2014).…”

Section: Study Objectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other companies, despite meeting the exposure conditions defined by the regulations, are not subject to regular inspection. This problem is particularly significant due to a growing interest in such spaces and these more and more frequent adaptation to new workplaces, referred to as underground spas and inhalatoriums or underground tourist routes, both in Poland (Olszewski et al, 2005;Olszewski, 2006;Przylibski, 1999Przylibski, , 2001Przylibski, , 2010Przylibski & FijałkowskaeLichwa, 2010;FijałkowskaeLichwa & Przylibski, 2011;FijałkowskaeLichwa, 2012FijałkowskaeLichwa, , 2014 and in other countries (Calin & Calin, 2010;Cevik, Kara, Celik, Karabidak, & Celik, 2011;Due nas, Fern andez, & Ca nete, 2005;Espinosa, Golzarri, VegaeOrihuela, & MoraleseMalacara, 2013;Gillmore et al, 2001;K av asi et al, 2010;Somlai, K av asi, Szab o, V arhegyi, & Kov acs, 2007, 2011). By 2010, as many as 75 underground tourist routes had been catalogued in Poland, including 15 situated in the country's most radoneprone area (FijałkowskaeLichwa & Przylibski, 2011;FijałkowskaeLichwa, 2012FijałkowskaeLichwa, , 2014Przylibski & FijałkowskaeLichwa, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimation of radon risk exposure in selected underground workplaces in the Sudetes (southern Poland)

Fijałkowska-Lichwa

2015

Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences

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The risk of exposure to increased ionizing radiation from radon was assessed for two groups of people who spend time, either for work (employees serving these visitors, mainly guides) or leisure (members of the public e visitors), in underground tourist facilities: Bear Cave in Kletno, the Gold Mine complex in Złoty Stok and the Underground Educational Tourist Route in the Old Uranium Mine in Kletno. These facilities had been chosen due to their location within the Sudetes, the most radoneprone area in Poland, and because of continuous radon activity concentration measurements conducted there since May 2008 to the end of January 2012. The selected facilities also meet the criteria for a radiation hazard workplace set by Polish law. The annual limit of the effective ionizing radiation dose allowed for employees in Poland, which is 20 mSv/year, is exceeded for guides working in all the facilities. Also, according to Polish radiological protection regulations, their working conditions qualify them as exposed workers of category A or B. After a month's work, guides receive the annual effective radiation dose allowed for category B workers (>1 mSv/year) and after a few months e an annual effective radiation dose allowed for people employed in category A conditions (>6 mSv/year). Members of the public spending no longer than one hour inside each facility are at risk of receiving small effective radiation doses, ranging from 0.001 to 0.2 mSv/h.

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“…In this context, an extensive set of subterranean environments open to tourism have been documented concerning the effective dose from radon inhalation estimation, including show caves (Solomon et al, Vaupotič et al, 2001;1996;Gillmore et al, 2002;Papachristodoulou et al, 2004;Lario et al, 2005;Sainz et al, 2007;Landridge et al, 2010), catacombs (Quarto et al, 2014), touristic mines (Przylibski, 2001;Gratan et al, 2004;Anjos et al, 2010) or touristic underground routes (Przylibski, 2000 and2008), among many other examples. Mitigation actions were adopted in some subterranean workplaces in order to reduce the health risk of tourist guides because of the exposure to excessive concentrations of radon or its decay products, such as the introduction of forced renewal of underground air through equipping the routes with periodically activated mechanical ventilation (Gunn et al, 1991;Fijalkowska-Lichwa, 2014). However, high 222 Rn gas concentrations in caves cannot easily be remediated by the above procedures because of the sensitive nature of these environments, thus air ventilation in caves is regarded as unthinkable because of the likely deleterious effects on its microclimate.…”

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confidence: 99%

High radon levels in subterranean environments: monitoring and technical criteria to ensure human safety (case of Castañar cave, Spain)

Alvarez-Gallego

Garcia-Anton

Fernández-Cortés

et al. 2015

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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Castañar cave contains the highest radon gas ((222)Rn) concentration in Spain with an annual average of 31.9 kBq m(-)(3). Seasonal variations with summer minimums and maximum values in fall were recorded. The reduction of air-filled porosity of soil and rock by condensation or rainfalls hides the radon exchange by gas diffusion, determining this seasonal stair-step pattern of the radon activity concentration in underground air. The effective total dose and the maximum hours permitted have been evaluated for the guides and public safety with a highly detailed radon measurement along 2011 and 2012. A network of 12 passive detectors (kodalphas) has been installed, as well as, two radon continuous monitoring in the most interesting geological sites of the subterranean environment. A follow up of the recommended time (max. 50 min) inside the underground environment has been analysed since the reopen to public visitors for not surpassing the legal maximum effective dose for tourists and guides. Results shown that public visitors would receive in fall a 12.1% of the total effective dose permitted per visit, whereas in summer it is reduced to 8.6%, while the cave guide received a total effective dose of 6.41 mSv in four months. The spatial radon maps allow defining the most suitable touristic paths according to the radon concentration distribution and therefore, appropriate fall and summer touristic paths are recommended.

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Short-term radon activity concentration changes along the Underground Educational Tourist Route in the Old Uranium Mine in Kletno (Sudety Mts., SW Poland)

Cited by 25 publications

References 19 publications

Investigation of temperature and barometric pressure variation effects on radon concentration in the Sopronbánfalva Geodynamic Observatory, Hungary

Investigation of temperature and barometric pressure variation effects on radon concentration in the Sopronbánfalva Geodynamic Observatory, Hungary

Estimation of radon risk exposure in selected underground workplaces in the Sudetes (southern Poland)

High radon levels in subterranean environments: monitoring and technical criteria to ensure human safety (case of Castañar cave, Spain)

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