Assessment of environmental radioactivity and health hazard at Stara Planina region

• Published in: Nuclear technology & radiation protection Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 354 - 360
• Main Authors: Dimovic, Slavko, Vakanjac, Boris, Jelic, Ivana, Rikalovic, Milena, Ristic-Vakanjac, Vesna, Bankovic, Radoje
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Belgrade Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences 2020; VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences
• Subjects: Abandoned mines; Abandoned waste sites; Dairy products; environment; Evaluation; Gamma rays; hazard; health; Health hazards; Livestock; Mountains; natural radioactivity; Radiation; Radiation dosage; Radioactivity; Radium; Risk assessment; Tailings; Tourism; Uranium
• DOI: 10.2298/NTRP2004354D
• EISSN: 1452-8185
• ISSN: 1451-3994

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential risks of radiation near
abandoned uranium mines, tailing dumps, or uranium deposits on Mountain
Stara Planina, Serbia. For risk assessment several parameters were
determined: radium equivalent activity, Raeq, external hazard index, Hex, gamma radiation absorbed dose rate, D, annual effective dose on background outdoor gamma exposure,
AEDoutdoor, and excess lifetime cancer risk, ELCR.
Obtained results showed that all the samples, except one, have the
Raeq value up to two times higher than the reference limit. The Raeq of
the sample from the Mezdreja mine tailings was increased by almost eight
times. The value of Hex followed the same pattern as Raeq. All the investigated
localities have increased D values, while all the samples have shown
the moderately low AEDoutdoor, except Mezdreja mine tailings that have
5.5-2.8 times higher dose relative to the world's average. ELCR at the
Mezdreja mine tailings is 4.58 times higher than the world's average of
1.45?10?3. In the context of human activity in the area of Stara Planina
such as different kinds of tourism, livestock breeding, dairy products, and
herbal manufacturing, etc. there is a need for detailed analysis in order to
evaluate potential human exposure and health impacts.