Workplace exposure to materials containing norm in Bavaria

The German radiation protection ordinance regulates the assessment of effective doses at workplaces using thoriated tungsten welding rods, thoriated incandescent gas mantles or thorium alloys. This study identifies users of the above mentioned products in Bavaria and assesses effective doses at these workplaces. Besides these regulated workplaces further exposures in the non-nuclear industry involving naturally occuring radioactive materials (NORM) were investigated. Only a few companies handling the mentioned products could be identified and the total effective doses at these workplaces are in the range between 62 μSv/a and 3.0 mSv/a. Further workplaces like the refractory materials industry, coal fired power stations and Bavarian quarries involving granite, feldspar and kaolin show total effective doses to workers of 2 to maximum 500 μSv/a. (orig.)