Radon in British mines - an abridged review

A brief review of the problems of exposure of miners to radon decay products in British mines is given. In 1975 the NRPB recommended an occupational limit of 4 WLM in a year from radon decay products but there are as yet no statutory requirements controlling exposure to this source of radiation. Results of a survey of the exposures of non-coal miners in 1981 and 1976 showed an encouraging improvement. Lung cancer risk coefficients from radon decay products are based, in the main, on retrospective studies of mining populations outside Britain with extremely high exposures. The validity of these estimates needs to be tested in Britain using the NRPB's National Registry for Radiation Workers. Comparing exposures of British Radiation Workers, non-coal miners are seen to be exposed nearer the present limit than any other group of radiation workers. The annual risk of death from radiation-induced lung cancer is 3.6x10-5 and 7.8x10-4 for coal and non-coal miners respectively. (U.K.)