Computer-aided methods for evaluating cancer risk in miners due to radiation exposure

The paper presents some aspects of radiation hazard which occurs in a non-nuclear sector of industry, namely radiation hazard in non-uranium underground mines. The radiation hazard is caused in each type of underground mine by the naturally occurring noble radioactive gas-radon (222Rn) and radioactive products of its decay 218Po, 214Pb, 214Bi/214Po the so-called 'radon daughters' occurring in the mines' air. The paper presents the concept of how to provide a reliable system of assessment of miners' exposure by application of representative individual dosimetry, and also presents principles of computer-aided methods for interpretation of the results of miner's dosimetry useful for conversion of dosimetry data to the term of expected risk of cancer caused by exposure at miner's workplaces. The representative Individual Dosimetry system strengthened by computer-aided methods of analysis of results provided essential information on radiation cancer risk for miners employed in coal mines, metal-ore mines, chemical raw material mines in Poland. The coefficient of annual cancer risk induction is 1.5 x 10-4 year-1 for coal mines, 1.40 x 10-4 year-1 for metal ore mines and 1.5 x 10-4 year-1 for chemical raw material mines. The radiation risk appears to be of the same magnitude as the conventional risk of life loss at work-related accidents. The average Lost Life Expectancy coefficient for both the radiation risk and conventional risk are 0.5 and 0.3 year per each miner, respectively. (author)