title: Study of a remediated coal ash depository from a radiological perspective.
abstract: Coal-fired power plants play a significant role in the production of electricity. The Ra-226 concentration of coals mined in the Ajka region can reach up to 3000 Bq/kg. This study focuses on the effects of a Hungarian (Ajka) remediated coal ash depository on the environment and the effectiveness of the cover layer. During the remediation, a method patented in Hungary was used, in which the upper layer of the depository, which had settled like concrete, was ploughed and mixed with woodchips before being planted with vegetation. The gamma dose rate H*(10) of the depository and its vicinity was measured using Automess 6150AD-b at 32 points, surface Rn-222 exhalation at 19 points and air radon concentration at 34 points; at 32 points, soil gas radon content was measured with AlphaGUARD and soil permeability with RADON-JOK. The nuclide content of nine samples was determined using an HPGe gamma spectrometer and their Rn-222 exhalation rates were measured using the AlphaGUARD. H*(10) was 290 (130-525) nSv/h at the covered depository; CRa-226was 1997 Bq/kg, 960 Bq/kg and 104 Bq/kg for the ash, cover layer and background soil respectively. CRn-222in the soil was 25-161 kBq/m3, and soil gas permeability K was between 6.4E-13 and 1.80E-11 m2. The radon exhalation of the uncovered and covered depository was 259-1100 mBq/m2s. The exhalation and emanation coefficients of the samples were 0.05-0.32 mBq/kgs and 8-22%. The effects of vegetation on the migration of radon were also examined. The results show that the Ajka coal ash depository involves higher radiological risk than that reported by previously published studies on depositories. The applied cover layer halved the field radon exhalation; in addition, the vegetation reduced the convective airflow and, with this, the migration of Rn.
authors.affiliation: University of Pannonia, Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, Veszprém, Hungary; Social Organization for Radioecological Cleanliness, Veszprém, Hungary.
authors.forename: Jácint
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jónás
authors.affiliation: University of Pannonia, Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, Veszprém, Hungary.
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Somlai
authors.affiliation: University of Pannonia, Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, Veszprém, Hungary.
authors.forename: Edit
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tóth-Bodrogi
authors.affiliation: University of Pannonia, Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, Veszprém, Hungary.
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hegedűs
authors.affiliation: University of Pannonia, Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, Veszprém, Hungary; Social Organization for Radioecological Cleanliness, Veszprém, Hungary. Electronic address: kt@almos.uni-pannon.hu.
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kovács
mesh_terms: D060729:Coal Ash / Q000032:analysis*; D006814:Hungary; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D011210:Power Plants; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D060729:Coal Ash; D007220:Industrial Waste; D011886:Radon
keywords: Coal ash; NORM; Radon; Radon exhalation; Waste depository