title: Assessment of occupational exposure in a granite quarry and processing factory.
abstract: Workers in the granite industry face an occupational hazard: silicosis due to the crystalline silica present in inhalable dust. As granite can also present a variable, and occasionally significant, content of naturally occurring radionuclides, they may also face a radiological hazard. In order to assess the risk, a granite industry with a quarry and processing factory was selected to assess the occupational exposure. Three main potential pathways were observed: external irradiation, inhalation of granite dust, and radon exposure. The external dose rate was similar to that in a nearby farming area. A slight increment (0.016-0.076 mSv yr-1) was observed in the quarry and stockpile, due to quarry faces and granite blocks. The effective dose due to granite dust inhalation was 0.182  ±  0.009 mSv yr-1in the worst case scenario (3 mg m-3dust load in air and no use of filter masks). Thus, the mean value of the effective dose from these two pathways was 0.26 mSv yr-1, lower than the reference level of 1 mSv yr-1for the general population. The annual mean value of radon concentration in the indoor air was 33 Bq m-3. However, during granite processing works the radon concentration can increase up to 216 Bq m-3, due to mechanical operations (sawing, polishing, sanding, etc). This radon concentration was below the 600 Bq m-3reference level for action in working places. Therefore, workers in this granite factory face no significant additional radiological exposure, and no-one needs to be designated as occupationally exposed and subject to individual dosimetry.
authors: INTROMAC, Avda. Universidad s/n, 10003 Cáceres, Spain.
authors: J J
authors: JJ
authors: Tejado
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Guillén
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Baeza
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D004391:Dust; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D004391:Dust; C007886:granite; D012822:Silicon Dioxide