Calculation Guide Mining : Calculation Guide for the Determination of Radiation Exposure due to Environmental Radioactivity Resulting from Mining

Abstract

The present "Calculation Guide Mining" (Berechnungsgrundlagen Bergbau) is the result of a revision and summarization of the “Calculation Guide for the Determination of Radiation Exposure due to Mining-caused Environmental Radioactivity” (Berechnungsgrundlagen zur Ermittlung der Strahlenexposition infolge bergbaubedingter Umweltradioaktivität)” and the "Calculation Guide for the Determination of Radiation Exposure due to Inhalation of Radon and its Short-lived Decay Products as a Result of Mining-caused Environmental Radioactivity" (Berechnungsgrundlagen zur Ermittlung der Strahlenexposition durch Inhalation von Radon und seinen kurzlebigen Zerfallsprodukten infolge bergbaubedingter Umweltradioaktivität) which had been effective separately up to now. Both documents were prepared in the mid-nineties by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in cooperation with the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) involving external experts (Brenk Systemplanung and the Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS)), discussed in the Commission on Radiological Protection (SSK)1, and forwarded to the Laender of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia by the BMU in 1999. In these Laender, the Calculation Guide is applied for the purpose of testing in practical implementation, especially in remediation projects of the Wismut GmbH. Both Calculation Guides were widespread during the last decade and have established themselves successfully in the assessment of radiation exposure from environmental radioactivity due to mining since their publication. This is essentially due to the fact that these documents were the first to specify calculation models and parameters enabling a “realistic, but sufficiently conservative” assessment of intervention situations in radiological protection according to the SSK. Nevertheless the experience gained during the last ten years of application of the Calculation Guides, as well as more recent research results necessitated a revision. This was done with particular consideration of indications made by the above Federal Laender and the Wismut GmbH as well as by experts. The summarized and modified Calculation Guide Mining has been discussed at length in the SSK-committees and was passed in 2009 in the 235 meeting of the SSK. The Calculation Guide Mining is confined to specifying procedures to calculate radiation exposure due to mining. It does not contain material radiation protection requirements such as regulations concerning remediation objectives or information as to the prerequisites for the justification of remediation operations.