Assessment of the radiological impacts of a zircon sand processing plant

The paper presents the results of a study on radiological impacts resulting from a zircon sand processing plant located in the North-Eastern part of Italy. Activity concentrations of radionuclides found in materials associated with this industrial process are presented as well as the results of the assessment of the annual effective doses to the workers and the members of the public. Gamma-spectrometric analyses were performed on "raw" sands, end-products, and soils sampled near the plant. Thermoluminescent dosimeters, electric pumps and electret ion chambers were used to measure the external irradiation, the indoor dust concentrations and the radon concentrations, respectively. The ground-level air concentration of radioactive particulate near the plant and the deposition of particulate matter were estimated by a Gaussian model (ISCLT3). Finally, the annual effective doses, calculated as provided for by Directive 96/29/Euratom, were estimated to be 1.7 mSv y(-1) for workers and 4.4 microSv y(-1) for members of the public.     

Assessment of radiological effects on the regional environment due to the operation of the Tokai Reprocessing Plant

The regional environmental radiological effects were assessed for the past 25-year operation of the Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP). The assessment was basically performed with the environmental radiological monitoring data around the TRP. For the environmental monitoring, various kinds of terrestrial and marine samples including air dust, surface soil, polished rice grain, leafy vegetable, milk, seawater, seabed sediments, fish, shellfish and seaweed were collected in the surrounding environment of the TRP. Radionuclides such as (3)H, (14)C, (90)Sr, (137)Cs and (239,240)Pu in the environmental samples were determined by radiochemical methods. However, they showed no significant short-term increase or long-term accumulation of radionuclides discharged from the TRP. Therefore, the public dose was evaluated using the mathematical models and the discharge data of radionuclides. The estimated annual effective dose for the public was about 0.1% of the annual effective dose limit recommended by the ICRP. The assessment showed that there were no significant radiological effects on the environment and the public due to the 25-year operation of the TRP.     

Sources of air pollution due to coal mining and their impacts in Jharia coalfield

Indian coal consumption is about 5.5% of the world and the share of coal as energy went up to 66%. The increasing trend of opencast coal mining lead to release of dust and gaseous pollutants. The Indian reserve of coking coal is mainly located in Jharia coalfield and having reserves upto a depth of 1219m are 19339 Mt. The coalfield is subjected to intensive mining activities and accounts for 30% of the total Indian coal production. Coal mining in Jharia coalfield and the sources of air pollution along with the production of air pollutants have been described. The dust particles act as centres of catalysis for many of the chemical reactions taking place in the atmosphere. Characteristics and effects of the pollutants have been discussed. An estimate of the dust generated and discharged into the atmosphere can be made by using emission factor or prediction type equations. It is disirable that this exercise is to be undertaken in planning stage so that adequate and appropriate mitigating measures can be incorporated into the project at least cost.     

Assessment of the radiological impact of oil refining industry

The field of radiation protection and corresponding national and international regulations has evolved to ensure safety in the use of radioactive materials. Oil and gas production processing operations have been known to cause naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) to accumulate at elevated concentrations as by-product waste streams. A comprehensive radiological study on the oil refining industry in Egypt was carried out to assess the radiological impact of this industry on the workers. Scales, sludge, water and crude oil samples were collected at each stage of the refining process. The activity concentration of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K were determined using high-resolution gamma spectrometry. The average activity concentrations of the determined isotopes are lower than the IAEA exempt activity levels for NORM isotopes. Different exposure scenarios were studied. The average annual effective dose for workers due to direct exposure to gamma radiation and dust inhalation found to be 0.6 μSv and 3.2 mSv, respectively. Based on the ALARA principle, the results indicate that special care must be taken during cleaning operations in order to reduce the personnel's exposure due to maintenance as well as to avoid contamination of the environment.     

Strategic assessment of the magnitude and impacts of sand mining in Poyang Lake, China

Planning for the extraction of aggregates is typically dealt with at a case to case basis, without assessing environmental impacts strategically. In this study we assess the impact of sand mining in Poyang Lake, where dredging began in 2001 after sand mining in the Yangtze River had been banned. In April 2008 concern over the impact on the biodiversity led to a ban on sand mining in Poyang Lake until further plans could be developed. Planning will require consideration of both sand extraction in relation to available sediment resources and also environmental impacts within the context of future demand for sand in the lower Yangtze Valley. We used pairs of near-infrared (NIR) Aster satellite imagery to estimate the number of vessels leaving the lake. Based on this we calculated a rate of sand extraction of 236 million m³ year⁻¹ in 2005–2006. This corresponds to 9% of the total Chinese demand for sand. It qualifies Poyang Lake as probably the largest sand mining operation in the world. It also indicates that sand extraction currently dominates the sediment balance of the lower Yangtze River. A positive relation between demand for sand and GDP, revealed by historic data from the USA, suggests that the current per capita demand for sand in China might increase in the near future from 2 to 4 m³ year⁻¹. We review various environmental impacts and question whether it will be possible to preserve the rich biodiversity of the lake, while continuing at the same time satisfying the increasing Chinese demand for sand. Finally we review alternative options for sand mining, in order to relieve the pressure from the Poyang Lake ecosystem.     

A common approach for radiological protection of humans and the environment

Protection of the environment is developing rapidly at the national and international level, but there are still no internationally agreed recommendations as to how radiological protection of the environment should be carried out. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is currently reviewing its existing recommendations for human protection. It has set up a task group with the aim of developing a protection policy for, and suggesting a framework of, the protection of the environment that could feed into its recommendations at the start of the 21st century. The task group will propose a framework for the protection of the environment from harmful effects of radiation, harmonising with the principles for the protection of humans. Although the task group has not yet finalised on the objectives for the environment, these might be to safeguard the environment by preventing or reducing the frequency of effects likely to cause early mortality, reduced reproductive success, or the occurrence of scorable DNA damage in individual fauna and flora to a level where they would have a negligible impact on conservation of species, maintenance of biodiversity, or the health and status of natural habitats or communities. To achieve these objectives, a set of reference dose models, reference dose per unit intake and reference organisms will be required.     

Assessment of regional climate change impacts on Hungarian landscapes

The assessment of regional climate change impacts combined with the sensitivity of landscape functions by predictive modelling of hazardous landscape processes is a new fundamental field of research. In particular, this study investigates the effects of changing weather extremes on meso-regional-scale landscape vulnerability. Climatic-exposure parameter analysis was performed on a predicted climate change scenario. The exposure to climate change was analysed on the basis of the original data of the meso-scale IPCC A1B climate scenario from the REMO and ALADIN regional models for the periods of 2021–2050 and 2071–2100, and the regional types of climate change impacts were calculated by using cluster analysis. Selected climate exposure parameters of the REMO and ALADIN models were analysed, in particular, for extreme events (days with precipitation greater than 30 mm, heat waves, dry periods, wet periods) and for daily temperature and precipitation. The landscape functions impacted by climate change are proxies for the main recent and future problematic processes in Hungary. Soil erosion caused by water, drought, soil erosion caused by wind, mass movement and flash floods were analysed for the time periods of 1961–1990, 2021–2050 and 2071–2100. Based on the sensitivity thresholds for the impact assessments, the landscape functional sensitivity indicators were interpreted, and an integrative summary of the five indicators was made, differentiating the regions facing only a few or multiple sensitivities. In Central Hungary, the increasing exposure and sensitivity to droughts will be a serious problem when following the REMO scenario. In several regions, most indicators will change the sensitivity threshold from a tolerable risk to an increased or very high risk.     

Assessment of groundwater quality impacts due to use of coal combustion byproducts to control subsidence from underground mines

Coal combustion byproducts are to be placed in an underground coal mine to control subsidence. The materials were characterized to determine potential groundwater impacts. No problems were found with respect to heavy or toxic metals. Coal combustion byproduct leachates are high in dissolved solids and sulfates. Chloride and boron from fly ash may also leach in initially high concentrations. Because the demonstration site is located beneath deep tight brine-bearing aquifers, no problems are anticipated at the demonstration site.     

Research priorities for managing the impacts and dependencies of business upon food,energy, water and the environment

Delivering access to sufficient food, energy and water resources to ensure human wellbeing is a major concern for governments worldwide. However, it is crucial to account for the ‘nexus’ of interactions between these natural resources and the consequent implications for human wellbeing. The private sector has a critical role in driving positive change towards more sustainable nexus management and could reap considerable benefits from collaboration with researchers to devise solutions to some of the foremost sustainability challenges of today. Yet opportunities are missed because the private sector is rarely involved in the formulation of deliverable research priorities. We convened senior research scientists and influential business leaders to collaboratively identify the top forty questions that, if answered, would best help companies understand and manage their food-energy-water-environment nexus dependencies and impacts. Codification of the top order nexus themes highlighted research priorities around development of pragmatic yet credible tools that allow businesses to incorporate nexus interactions into their decision-making; demonstration of the business case for more sustainable nexus management; identification of the most effective levers for behaviour change; and understanding incentives or circumstances that allow individuals and businesses to take a leadership stance. Greater investment in the complex but productive relations between the private sector and research community will create deeper and more meaningful collaboration and cooperation.     

Challenging the current strategy of radiological protection of the environment: arguments for an ecosystem approach

The system of radiological protection of the environment that is currently under development is one contribution to the general need to adequately protect the environment against stress. Dominated by operational goals, it emphasizes conceptual and methodological approaches that are readily accessible today: reference organisms supported by individual-based traditional ecotoxicological data. Whilst there are immediate advantages to this approach (pragmatism, consistency with other approaches in use for man and biota), there are also clear limitations, especially in a longer run perspective, that need to be acknowledged and further considered. One can mention a few: uncertainties generated by the need for various extrapolations (from lower to higher levels of biological organisation, …), various features missed such as potential ecological impact through impairment of ecosystem processes, trans-generational impacts as mediated through genomic instability, indirect effects mediated through trophic interactions or disruption of ecological balances,… Such limitations have already been faced in other fields of environmental protection against other stressors, pushing a number of environment professionals to assign stronger emphasis on more systemic approaches. This review discusses the advantages and limitations of the current approach designed for the radiological protection of non-human biota in the broader context of environment protection as a whole, with especial reference to upcoming trends and evolutions. This leads in particular to advocating the need to boost scientific and methodological approaches featuring the ecosystem concept as a mean to access a unified goal of protection: preserving life sustainability through protection of ecosystem structure and functioning.     

Assessment of radiation exposure in the uranium mining and milling area of Mailuu Suu, Kyrgyzstan

The area of the town of Mailuu Suu, Kyrgyzstan, is polluted by radionuclides and heavy metals from tailing dumps and heaps resulting from the historic exploitation of uranium mines. In the frame of a European Commission-TACIS funded project, radiological assessment was performed for critical group members living in the city of Mailuu Suu, located downstream the tailings, or in the village of Kara Agach, partially located on a uranium mine waste dump. The actual external exposure is around 1.2 mSv a(-1) at both locations and exposure from radon is around 3 mSv a(-1) at Mailuu Suu and around 10 mSv a(-1) at Kara Agach. Ingestion dose was negligible for a critical group member living at Mailuu Suu. At Kara Agach, however, under the hypothesis that all food and fodder is cultivated locally, exposure from ingestion is much higher ( approximately 10-30 mSv a(-1)). In case of an accidental scenario [(part of) Tailing 3 content thrust to river], estimated additional maximum doses result in 45 and 77 mSv for an adult and a child, respectively.     

Assessment of the impacts of climate change and variability on water resources and use,food security,and economic welfare in Iran

Climate change influences the agricultural sector by reducing available water resources, thereby influencing income, consumer and producer surplus, and crop prices. So, it is necessary to have a comprehensive integrated method to measure the effects of these changes on natural resources and social conditions. The present study aims to use the positive mathematical programming method to discover the trend and conditions of groundwater resources, agricultural water use, food security, and economic welfare of the agricultural sector in Iran. To this end, data for the period 2000–2015 was used under four different scenarios of normal climate change, climate change, climate variability, and concurrent climate change The results showed that the mean agricultural water use will amount to 35,103.6, 26,533.8, 35,216, and 26,510.7 million m³ and the mean decline in the reserves of aquifers will amount to 4422.22, 11,165.6, 4438.25, and 11,267.4 million m³ under the scenarios, respectively. With respect to food security, the net farm revenue will be 314,560, 248,753, 315,427, and 248,574 billion IRR, respectively. The mean crop price per ton will reach 905.3, 1141.8, 904, and 1142.8 million IRR, respectively. The mean consumer surplus will be 172,107.7, 166,450, 172,024, and 166,403 billion IRR and the mean producer surplus will be 419,959.2, 395,380, 419,751, and 395,204 billion IRR, respectively. Based on the results, to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change on different studied aspects, it is necessary to change policymaking in the water and agricultural sectors, especially regarding the shift from traditional agricultural water allocation to its market-based allocation and to change planting pattern.

     

压煤村庄搬迁对农业生产的影响——以兖州市为例

我国的煤炭资源开采大部分都是采取井下开采的方式,该种开采方式在进行过程中容易引起覆岩层的原始平衡状态遭受破坏,同时伴随冒落、断裂或者弯曲等移动变形的情况出现,并最终涉及地表。到目前为止,由采矿引起的地面塌陷和地表开裂,已经导致了大量建筑物被破坏,给农民的生产生活带来了极大的不便,对农业生产的发展造成了极大的阻扰,减少了耕地,形成了社会的不稳定因素,严重影响地区的社会的发展与稳定。压煤村庄搬迁能改善矿区居民的生活环境和基础设施建设,加快小城镇建设和城乡一体化发展的进程,但是由于村庄搬迁引起的耕作半径增加,改变了从居住区到田地的距离,引起机械化程度、耕种方式和农业劳动力需求等变化,从而将在一定程度上影响本地区的社会稳定性,也会增加整个社会的就业压力。山东省是重要的产煤发展基地,村庄搬迁后远离耕地,为农民的往返与出入带来了不便。本文以兖州市已搬迁的八个村庄为研究对象,采取调查问卷的形式进行了实地调研,并将调查后的数据进行了分类统计与回归分析,运用SPSS软件进行Logit模型回归分析,最终确定主要生活来源和田间道路修建两个因子与农民从事农业生产的意愿存在密切的相关性,交通工具的变更与大型机械的配备对其也有较大的影响作用,研究结果可为该政府相关部门制定村庄搬迁和农业生产有着重要的理论指导意义。     

Study on coupling between mineral resources exploitation and the mining ecological environment in Shanxi Province

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Due to rapid socioeconomic development, seeking the coordination of resources exploitation and the ecological environment has become an objective...     

An assessment of the impacts of pesticide use on the environment and health of rice farmers in Sierra Leone

One of the biggest challenges faced by Sierra Leonean farmers is pest control. Birds, rodents, insects, crustaceans and other organisms can drastically reduce yields. In order to prevent these organisms from destroying their crop, farmers use pesticides. However there are reports that these chemicals are being misused and such misuse is having a negative impact on the environment and the health of the farmers.This research study aimed to investigate the use of pesticides in rice fields and its potential effects on the environment and on the farmers of Sierra Leone. Five hundred farmers and one hundred health workers across the country were interviewed. Fifty focus group discussions were also completed. Field observations were also undertaken to see how farmers apply pesticides to their farms and the possible threats these methods have on human health and the environment. It is clear that a wide range of pesticides are used by rice farmers in Sierra Leone with 60% of the pesticides used entering the country illegally. Most farmers have no knowledge about the safe handling of pesticides as 71% of them have never received any form of training. The pesticides kill both target and non-target organisms some of which enter the food chain.Cases of health problems such as nausea, respiratory disorders and blurred vision investigated in this research are significantly higher among farmers who use pesticides than those who do not use pesticides. Cases of pesticide intoxication are not investigated by health workers but results obtained from interviews with them also indicated that cases of pesticides related symptoms are significantly higher in environments where pesticides are used than those in which pesticides are not used.     

Assessment of persistent toxic substances in the environment of Egypt

The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the threats posed by persistent toxic substances (PTS) to the environment and human health in Egypt and to identify priorities, data gaps and recommendations for future intervention to control, reduce or eliminate releases of PTS. Data on available concentrations of persistent toxic substances in the different environmental compartments and their impacts on the ecosystem, and humans have been assembled and summarized. Despite extensive studies, most of the data available deal with limited studies or hot spot situations. Localized inputs of PTS have been identified from freshwater discharges in coastal areas (e.g., Nile estuaries and coastal lakes) and near sewage outfalls from highly industrialized and populated cities. Data are often missing for certain contaminants and in some compartments and geographical areas. The lack of standardized methodologies makes it difficult to compare and use existing data to provide exact conclusions on spatial and temporal trends. In spite of these restrictions, available data indicate that it is unlikely that present levels of cyclodiene pesticides would adversely affect marine organisms. Compounds which are proven to be of concern are DDT, PCBs, gamma-HCH, PAHs, HCB and organotin compounds. Other compounds are suspected to be ubiquitous but data are lacking. Based on few recent data, the reported levels of organochlorine pesticides in fish and human milk samples suggest a concentration decline during the 1990s consistent with the regulatory restrictions on the use of these compounds. It is essential to activate monitoring programs to fill data gaps in appropriate abiotic and biotic. Monitoring programs should be follow standard procedures and include improved QA/QC protocols.     

Radioecology in the vicinity of prospected uranium mining sites in a subarctic environment

A radioecological investigation has been carried out in two uranium-rich areas in northern Sweden. Aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric samples have been analysed, mainly for radionuclides in the uranium series. In one of the areas, about ten times higher concentrations of uranium, thorium and radium were found in lichen close to the mineralization, due to aerial dispersion. In the aquatic system, no signs of enhanced levels were observed. For the short-lived radon daughters in air, there was no correlation between concentrations and distance from mineralization, as a result of the high natural background.     

Radioactivity in the environment around past radium and uranium mining sites of Portugal

Measurements of ambient radiation doses and determination of radionuclide concentrations in mining waste and soils were performed in 60 areas of former radium and uranium mining. In several places, mining waste and low-grade uranium ore left on the surface contain radioactivity above regional background. Most of the former mining sites present no enhanced radionuclide concentrations. However, in the mining facilities where the radioactive ore was chemically extracted, mill tailings contain materials with elevated levels of radioactivity, up to 200 times the levels in unaffected soils of the region. Mud from neutralization ponds used to treat acid mine waters contains also elevated radionuclide concentrations. Furthermore, depending on the type of waste, the radioelement composition varies. Environmental rehabilitation measures shall take these differences into account in order to prevent in the long term the radioactive contamination of agriculture soils and water resources, and to ensure adequate radiological protection to the public and to the environment.     

Assessment of the natural radioactivity and radiological hazards in Turkish cement and its raw materials

The natural radioactivity due to presence of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K radionuclides in raw materials, intermediate products (clinker) and end products (22 different cement types) was measured using a gamma-ray spectrometry with HPGe detector. The specific radioactivity of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in the analyzed cement samples ranged from 12.5+/-0.3 to 162.5+/-1.7Bqkg(-1) with a mean of 40.5+/-26.7Bqkg(-1), 6.7+/-0.3 to 124.9+/-2.5Bqkg(-1) with a mean of 26.1+/-18.9Bqkg(-1) and 64.4+/-2.3 to 679.3+/-18.2Bqkg(-1) with a mean of 267.1+/-102.4Bqkg(-1), respectively. The radium equivalent activity (Ra(eq)), the gamma-index, the emanation coefficient, the (222)Rn mass exhalation rate and the indoor absorbed dose rate were estimated for the radiation hazard of the natural radioactivity in all samples. The calculated Ra(eq) values of cement samples (37.2+/-8.7-331.1+/-15.5Bqkg(-1) with a mean of 98.3+/-53.8) are lower than the limit of 370Bqkg(-1) set for building materials. The Ra(eq) values were compared with the corresponding values for cement of different countries. The mean indoor absorbed dose rate is slightly higher than the population-weighted average of 84nGyh(-1).