Preliminary assessment of radiation safety of zirconia utilization in abrasive industry In PT. X

In abrasive industry, one of which is PT. X, zirconia is used as one of raw material in making sandpaper. The content of naturally occurring radioactive material in zirconia will give radiological risk to industrial workers who are often in physical contact with the material or adjacent to material deposits. However, radiological risk from zirconia is not yet known by the management and workers at PT. X. This study is intended to explore the radiological aspects of zirconia and recommend measures to minimize radiation exposure received by workers from the utilization of zirconia. The method used is quantitative through comparative analysis. The calculation of external radiation dose received by workers has been done based on field measurement data of gamma dose rate. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that the radiation dose received by workers in PT. X is still below the dose constraint for public, but the value is close to 0.3 mSv / year. (author)