title: The potential risk from 222radon posed to archaeologists and earth scientists: reconnaissance study of radon concentrations, excavations, and archaeological shelters in the Great Cave of Niah, Sarawak, Malaysia.
abstract: This reconnaissance study of radon concentrations in the Great Cave of Niah in Sarawak shows that in relatively deep pits and trenches in surficial deposits largely covered by protective shelters with poor ventilation, excavators are working in a micro-environment in which radon concentrations at the ground surface can exceed those of the surrounding area by a factor of > x 2. Although radon concentrations in this famous cave are low by world standards (alpha track-etch results ranging from 100 to 3075 Bq m(-3)), they still may pose a health risk to both excavators (personal dosemeter readings varied from 0.368 to 0.857 mSv for 60 days of work) and cave occupants (1 yr exposure at 15 h per day with an average radon level of 608 Bq m(-3) giving a dose of 26.42 mSv). The data here presented also demonstrate that there is considerable local variation in radon levels in such environments as these.
authors.affiliation: School of Archaeological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK. G.K.Gillmore@bradford.ac.uk
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gillmore
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gilbertson
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grattan
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McLaren
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pyatt
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mani Banda
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Antony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Denman
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011886:Radon / Q000506:poisoning*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000506:poisoning*; D014691:Ventilation
chemical_list: D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon