RADON EXPERIENCES IN WORKPLACES IN SPAIN

Carlos Sainz Fernández University of Cantabria

RADON GROUP UNIVERSITY OF CANTABRIA

LARUC

IV ERA Radon workshop “Occupational exposure to

radon"

INDEX

Introduction

National legislation

Experiences in workplaces

Conclussions

SPAIN

Final step in EURATOM Directive 96 integration in Spanish Law

TITULO VII: Occupational exposure to natural sources of radiation

Not applied for radon exposure in dwellings

Competent authority is not clearly stablished

2001

Definition of the competent authority & Owner responsibility

MANDATORY control of exposure to natural sources of radiation

Not applied for radon exposure in dwellings

2010

From Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN)

Setting of radiological criteria for intervention in workplaces with exposure to natural sources of radiation:

-Effective doses (without radon)

-RADON CONCENTRATION (annual average)

< 600 Bq m-3 No control needed 600 – 1000 Bq m-3 LOW control level

> 1000 Bq m-3 HIGH control level

Workplaces with high permanence of public Action level: 300 Bq m-3

2011

Guías Seguridad CSN 11.01 11.02

From Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) 2011

•UNTIL NOW, AROUND 12000 INDOOR RADON MEASUREMENTS ARE

AVAILABLE

THE MAP HAVE BEEN MADE IN 2 STAGES:

•1ST PHASE: 2009-2012

•2ND PHASE 2013-2014

SPANISH RADON MAP

METHODS

2 tipos de sistemas de medida de radón (según tiempo de integración) - Continuo (min-horas) - Integradores (dias-meses)

Continuo

Valores puntuales Medidas rápidas Correlaciones con parámetros ambientales (medidas remedio)

Integrador

Valores medios Medidas lentas Barato, planificación

Complementarios

HOW?

RadonScout (SARAD)

- Rango de medida: 10 Bq/m³...2 MBq/m³ - Resolución. 100 keV por canal -Eficiencia de detección: 2 cts/(min*kBq/m³) -Periodo de integración 1-3 h -Rango ambiental de funcionamiento: Temperatura: -10°C - +50°C; -Humedad relativa: 0% - 98 % (non condensing) - Autonomia: 3 meses

RadonScout (SARAD) Inicio medida

Selección puerto

Descarga

Estado Bateria

Borrado

Bloqueo interruptor

Intervalo integración

Sincronizació

RadonScout (SARAD)

Descarga datos

RadonScout (SARAD) Descarga datos

DETECTORES PASIVOS: CR – 39

-Detector de trazas. -Recipiente: 55 mm x 35 mm. -Tiempo de exposición: 3-6 meses. -Revelado químico en RadoBath. -Medida con RadoMeter 2000.

Imágenes obtenidas por microscopía de Fuerza Atómica de un CR-39

Único laboratorio español validado por la PHE (Public Health England, United Kingdom)

para la realización de medidas de gas radón empleando detectores pasivos

RADON CHAMBER

Wide range of radon exposures Low leakage ( < 0,01 h-1)

Continuous/integrated system calibration Traceable to international standards

EXPERIENCES

HIGHSPEED TRAIN TUNNEL

CONSTRUCTION

Agressive environment

Forced ventilation swich-on everyday 1 hour before

beginning the work

INTEGRATED MEASUREMENTS

Annual average below 600 Bq m-3 Æ OPTIMIZATION

THERMAL SPA

Eagle-eye view of the facility

MAIN OBJECTIVES:

.- STUDY THE NATURAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE Las Caldas ACUIFER FOR A LONG

TIME PERIOD

.- TO APPLY THE KNWOLEDGE FOR ACTIVE FAULTS LOCATED IN THE

COUNTRY

High humidity environment

Agressive environment

Rn in water, 9 month period

Mixing of water, ocassional flood

08/03

/2012

22/03

/2012

05/04

/2012

19/04

/2012

03/05

/2012

17/05

/2012

31/05

/2012

14/06

/2012

28/06

/2012

12/07

/2012

26/07

/2012

09/08

/2012

23/08

/2012

17/12

/2012

31/12

/2012

200

400

600

800 GEO-RTM 2100ra

don

(Bq/

l)

Date

Observation of water procedence/mixing

Modelización

Resultado

Indoor radon

Annual average around 3500 Bq m-3 (Point nearby the well)

Tourist Caves

Andrew J. Kowalczk , Philip N. Froelich, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2010

¿“normal”?

… not always…

… since more tan 30 years ago…

Annual average around 4000 Bq m-3

sep-14 oct-14 nov-14 dic-14 ene-15 feb-15 HALL 364 1014 3693 4768 5174 4686

PASILLO 512 1466 4283 4764 5089 4795 POLICROMOS 685 1393 3563 5051 5222 4809

2º RAMAL 808 1417 4395 4927 5056 4779 HOYA 1339 2433 4361 4807 4730 4948 POZO 1393 2303 5156 5821 5649 5204

EXAMPLE OF INTEGRATED MEASUREMENTS

SEPTIEMBRE 2013 OCTUBRE 2013 NOVIEMBRE 2013

DICIEMBRE 2013 ENERO 2014 FEBRERO 2014

MARZO 2014 ABRIL 2014 MAYO 2014

SEPTIEMBRE 2014 OCTUBRE 2014 NOVIEMBRE 2014

LOW/VERY LOW PARTICLE CONCENTRATION ( Z < 4000 cm-3)

fp ~ 400/Z

HIGH/VERY HIGH UNNATTACHED FRACTION

HIGHER DOSES FOR SAME EXPOSURE THAN OTHER INDOOR PLACES

around 4000 Bq m-3… inside a cave!

High control level

Reduce radon?

Regulation

WORKING TIME-BASED

RADIATION PROTECTION SYSTEM (50 h/y)

CONCLUDING REMARKS

LOT OF WORK TO DO…

BIG NUMBER OF WORKPLACES NEED TO BE CHARACTERIZED

SPECIFIC EXPOSURE CONDITIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF ACTIVITY

MORE COMPLETE LEGISLATION IS WELCOME

COMPETENCE/QUALITY ASSURANCE

www.elradon.com

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!