Levels of Radon Activity Concentration in Air of Coal Mines in Bosnia and Hercegovina

Abstract

By coal mining and exploatation, radioactive radon gas, which is captured in natural geological structures, is reallocated from the deep coal layers. Hence it is concentrated in the depots and coal seams of the mines or being transported to the surface of the earth where it can significantly change the levels of radioactivity in the working premises and residences. This paper presents the results of a three-year research of radon activity concentration in the air in hole and surface coal mines of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Detected concentrations of radon in the coal gaseous structure, atmosphere and other ambient media are in correlation with the properties of geological structures, technology for obtaining coal and meteo-climatic changes. They were measured with Alpha GUARD PQ 2000 radon portable measuring system (instruments Genitron-Frankfurt) and RadoMeter 2000 (Radosys LTD. Budapest), using the SS-NTD method.