Health and environmental impacts of a fertilizer plant – Part II: assessment of radiation exposure

In the previous paper the authors have studied the radioactive pollution caused by a complex fertilizers production plant. In this paper, the effective doses to the plant workers and to members of the population surrounding the industrial site are estimated. The authors have considered external irradiation, inhalation and ingestion of dust and inhalation of radon and radon daughters as the main occupational exposure routes. After estimating the single contributions, the total effective dose has been calculated as the sum of said contributions. Calculations have been differentiated according to the different tasks of the company employees. The estimated annual effective doses range from 0.6 to 1.4 mSv per year. Annual individual effective doses to local residents, resulting from internal and external irradiation caused by particulate matter emitted into the atmosphere by the plant have been estimated. The maximum individual dose rate is estimated to be about 4 uSv y-1.