title: Radioactivity of mining sites of lead, zinc and phosphate ores in Serbia.
abstract: Natural resources such as ores contain radioactive nuclides at various concentrations. Therefore it is important to investigate the radioactivity in these resources as well as in the soil at the locations of ore deposits. For that reason we conducted preliminary measurements in the soil samples taken from the locations of lead and zinc ore deposits in Bosilegrad and Raška and from the locations of phosphate ore deposits in Bosilegrad to estimate the environmental conditions prior to the ore excavation. The activity concentrations of radionuclides in soil, water and plant samples were determined by gamma spectrometry (HPGe detector, relative efficiency 23%). Results showed the presence of natural radionuclides (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K, (235)U, (238)U as well as the produced radionuclide (137)Cs (from the Chernobyl accident). Ambient gamma radiation dose rate in ground level air was also measured. In order to estimate the influence of subsequent mining on the working and living environment, radium equivalent (Ra(eq)), external hazard index (H(ex)), external gamma absorbed dose rate ([Formula: see text]) and annual effective dose (D(E)) were determined.
authors.affiliation: University of Belgrade, Institute Vinča, Radiation and Environmental Protection Department, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Dragana J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Todorović
authors.forename: Marija M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Janković
authors.forename: Jelena D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Nikolić
authors.forename: Dusko D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Kosutić
mesh_terms: D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis*; D007854:Lead; D008906:Mining; D010710:Phosphates; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D055771:Serbia; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma; D015032:Zinc
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D011868:Radioisotopes; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D007854:Lead; D015032:Zinc