Assessment of radiological parameters and radiation dose received by the miners in Jaduguda uranium mine, India

Monitoring of radiological parameters in underground uranium mines is essential to maintain the radiation levels within safe limits. In this study, the radiological parameters such as external gamma emitted from ore body, long-lived alpha activity associated with ore dust and radon concentration in an operating underground uranium mine located at Jaduguda, India were measured using different equipments such as micro-R radiation survey meter, personal air sampler and scintillation cell. The geometric mean values of external gamma radiation level, long-lived alpha activity, radon activity concentration and equilibrium equivalent radon (EER) concentration were found to be 2.39 μGy h−1, 16.84 mBq m−3, 872.89 Bq m−3 and 436.44 Bq m−3 respectively with their geometric standard deviations of 1.56, 3.21, 1.58 and 1.58. The total radiation dose received by the miners estimated from the radiological parameters was found to be well below the prescribed limit of 20 mSv y−1 recommended by International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP), and hence, it may not pose significant health hazards to the Jaduguda miners.