Assessment of natural radioactivity levels in polymetallic nodules and potential health risks from deep-sea mining.

Autor: Dołhańczuk-Śródka A; Institute of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Opole, Poland. Electronic address: agna@uni.opole.pl., Kłos A; Institute of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Opole, Poland., Janecki D; Institute of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Opole, Poland., Ziembik Z; Institute of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Opole, Poland., Skowronek A; Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, Poland., Strzelecka A; Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, Poland., Mianowicz K; Interoceanmetal Joint Organization, Szczecin, Poland., Abramowski T; Interoceanmetal Joint Organization, Szczecin, Poland; Maritime University of Szczecin, Poland.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of hazardous materials [J Hazard Mater] 2024 Dec 05; Vol. 480, pp. 136494. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Nov 12.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136494
Abstrakt: The activity concentration of U-238, Ra-226, Pb-214, Bi-214, and Pb-210 was measured in samples of polymetallic nodules stored in the repository of the Interoceanmetal Joint Organization (IOM) based in Szczecin, Poland. The nodule samples were collected from the seabed of the Pacific Ocean, within the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, approximately 2000 kilometres west of Mexico. The activity concentration of U-238 in the studied samples ranged from 9 to 51 Bq/kg. The mean activity concentration of the other radionuclides, Ra-226, Pb-214, Bi-214, and Pb-210, was found to be at comparable levels at 350, 321, 323, and 287 Bq/kg, respectively. Also investigated was the potential radiological hazard to individuals involved in the storing and processing of the nodules, resulting from the radioactive decay of Ra-226 contained in the nodules. It was concluded that the effective dose limit (20 mSv) for individuals occupationally exposed to radioactive material can be exceeded in the case of prolonged and close contact with large quantities of nodules. Effective protective measures against the detected radiation include: observing the exposure time, ensuring safe distance from the source of radiation, and selecting suitable shielding where feasible within the operational constraints of the nodule transport or storage system.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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