Re: Radiation doses from coal

["Michael C. Baker" <mcbaker@lanl.gov>]

You should take a look at the Radiation Protection Dosimetry 
article that I mentioned in my original post.  It discusses
the various pathways for the material to contribute to human 
exposure and the likely magnitude of such exposures.  I think 
this is the information you are looking for.  The reference
was,
		
J. O. Corbett, "The Radiation Dose From Coal Burning: A Review of 
Pathways and Data," Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 4(1): 5-19. 
(1983)

The article discusses the portions that one finds in various 
sources, such as ash, and what the common utilizations of that 
ash are (at least in the United Kingdom).  Here is a reproduction 
of the papers "Summary of typical radiation doses for coal burning"
for the general public and occupational exposure. Note that the 
largest indual dose to the general public was due to the use of 
ash in building materials.

Route				Max Individual Dose		Collective Dose
				(uSv/y)			(manSv/GWy)
GENERAL PUBLIC
inhalation from plume	  0.3 (a)			2.0
ground-gamma			  1.0 (a)			0.3
resuspension			  0.7 (a)			0.1
terrestrial food chain	 50.0 (a)			2.0
marine food chain		 20.0 (b)			0.5 (c)
blown ash (inhalation)	  5.0				small
building materials		120.0 (e)			??
  (gamma rays)

OCCUPATIONAL
radon in coal mines	      1000.0 (d)			3 (d)
ash inhaled in power 	150.0 				small
   station
ash disposal site 		120.0				small
   (gamma rays)

Notes: 	(a) dose per GWy on a single site
		(b) total effect from all emissions in Japan
		(c) European estimate  (50.0 for Japan)
		(d) compared with open air work
		(e) estimated for notional house with high ash content

Hope this helps,
Mike Baker

At 09:59 AM 5/19/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Thank you all who so far responded to my question about radioactivity in 
>coal. I have looked at the link below and notice that on page 4 
>(approx.) where the total contents (uranium & thorium) are given, the 
>word "releases" is used: Given 1 ppm, the world release of uranium must 
>be something like 5000 tons annually (present rate which is increasing). 
>But is all this really released - it sounds like this all goes up into 
>the air? How much ends up in ashes etc (Thank you Alex for the "Chinese 
>consideration"? What is trapped in ashes could perhaps be seen as less 
>risk relevant. Any comments will be greatly appreciated.
>

	
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Michael C. Baker, Ph.D.            Safeguards Science and Technology
                                   Nonproliferation and International 
                                           Security Division
email:  mcbaker@lanl.gov             Los Alamos National Laboratory
Phone:  (505) 667-7334               P.O. Box 1663, Mail Stop E540 	
Fax:    (505) 665-4433                 Los Alamos, NM 87545 (USA)
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