Assessment of public exposures and environmental protection around a Uranium mine in Botswana

Public exposure from uranium mine can be through external gamma radiation, inhalation of radionuclides from dust, and ingestion of water or food contaminated with the radionuclides. It is necessary to assess public exposures and environmental protection around Uranium mines in order to monitor the impact of the mining activities on the public and environment. This research work therefore, aimed at conducting assessment of public exposures and environmental protection around prospectiveSerule Uranium mine in Botswana. Different methods were employed in assessing the activity concentration, absorbed gamma dose rates due to primordial radionuclides ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in soil and water samples. Radioactivity concentrations in soil samples were measured using a high-purity germanium detector based on high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry and an identiFINDER as a survey meter. Radioactivity levels of drinking water samples were determined using a low background gas-less automatic alpha/beta counting system. The absorbed dose rate, gross alpha and beta activities and the effective dose rate were calculated. In order to control exposure to the members of the public it is recommended that calculated dose rate should be on lower side of the limit value of 1 mSv per annum at site boundary of the facility as recommended by ICRP.For drinking water the calculated value of gross alpha/beta should be lower than 0.1 mSv/year assuming a water consumption rate of 2 litres/day as recommended by WHO. Finally Radiation Protection Programme for public exposure and environmental protection was recommended. (author)