Radiological assessment of the bauxite mining in Turkey and estimation of radiation dose contribution of the red mud as
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Radiological assessment of the bauxite mining in Turkey and estimation of radiation dose contribution of the red mud as a concrete agent of the model room by using RESRAD‑BUILD computer code Aydın Parmaksız1 Received: 19 May 2020 / Accepted: 13 September 2020 / Published online: 10 October 2020 © Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary 2020
Abstract Red mud resulting from bauxite mining and processing is a cause of considerable concern because of the large amount of production and potential risks of long-lived natural radionuclides. In this study, samples taken from ore to end-products including waste in facilities were measured by gamma-ray spectrometry and radiological assessment indexes were calculated. For assessment of the usage of red mud as an additive in concrete, exposures of the occupant were calculated by using RESRAD-BUILD computer code for a model room. The radiological risk did not found for the use of red mud samples in the determined ratios in concrete. Keywords Bauxite · Red mud · Gamma spectrometry · Activity concentration · Radiation dose · RESRAD-BUILD
Introduction Mining and processing of ores may cause not only elevate chemical and heavy metal content of products, by-products, residues or wastes but also enhance concentrations of natural radionuclides with potential radiological risks for human health. It has frequently observed in the industrial activities that changes in physicochemical conditions during production process caused the enrichment of concentrations of radionuclides, especially in products or wastes. One of the best examples of these materials is red mud formed during the exploitation and processing of bauxite ores in aluminium production. Although it varies according to alumina production processes and the quality of bauxite mine, waste red mud occurs with a range of 1.1–6.2 units during the production of one unit of alumina by weight [1]. The disposal of solid red mud wastes in large areas or their chemically and heavy metal-rich solutions in pools or dams, poses a major problem, both ecologically and economically. The * Aydın Parmaksız [email protected] 1
Radiation and Accelerator Technologies Department, Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, Atom Street, No: 27, 06983 Kahramankazan, Ankara, Turkey
considerable concern is the transmission of radionuclides to individuals in various ways in wastes that are generated in aluminium production. Bauxite mining and processing residues especially red mud has paid particular attention of many researchers due to chemical and heavy metal content, toxicity, radiological risks, availability valuable metals from recycling and usability in building materials etc. [2–17]. According to the report of Environmental Protection Agency submitted to congress in 2000, activity concentrations of 226Ra radionuclides in bauxite ranged from 162.8 to 273.8 Bq kg−1 while red mud varied between 144.3 and 207.2 Bq kg−1 [18, 19]. In another report published by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2003, activity concentration ranges of uranium a
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