Assessment of the radiological impact of gamma and radon dose rates at former U mining sites in Tajikistan

An assessment of the radiological situation due to exposure to gamma radiation, radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) was carried out at former uranium (U) mining and processing sites in Taboshar and at Digmai in Tajikistan. Gamma dose rate measurements were made using various field instruments. 222Rn/220Rn measurements were carried out with field instruments for instantaneous measurements and then discriminative 222Rn/220Rn solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) were used for longer representative measurements. The detectors were exposed for an extended period of time in different outdoor and indoor public and residential environments at the selected U legacy sites. The results showed that gamma, 222Rn and 220Rn doses were in general low, which consequently implies a low to relatively low radiological risk. The radiation doses deriving from external radiation (gamma dose rate), indoor 222Rn and 220Rn with their short-lived progenies did not exceed national or international standards. At none of the sites investigated did the average individual annual effective doses exceed 10 mSv, the recommended threshold value for the general public. A radiation hazard could be associated with exceptional situations, such as elevated exposures to ionizing radiation at the Digmai tailings site and/or in industrial facilities, where gamma and 222Rn/220Rn dose rates could reach values of several 10 mSv/a. Current doses of ionizing radiation do not represent a hazard to the health of the resident public, with the exception of some specific situations. These issues should be adequately addressed to further reduce needless exposure of the resident public to ionizing radiation.