[en] The author reviews the problem of quality control in monitoring of radioactive environmental pollution. Necessary legal procedures concerning authorization of laboratories are discussed. Author concludes that introduction of legal standards required by European Union will increase the reliability of the analyses delivered by laboratories. These regulations will be also beneficial for the laboratories, because legal protection against unjustified claims from the clients will be provided

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[en] Upper Silesia, situated in southern part of Poland, is an industrial area, where over 60 coal mines are located. Geological structure of this area is very complicated. In the southern part of the coal basin, the carboniferous strata ate covered by thick layers of Miocene clays. In the north the carboniferous strata are covered by permeable limestones and Quaternary deposits. There are also numerous outcrops of coal seams. Such structure enables easy migration of gases. There are a lot of tectonic dislocations and faults. Additionally this area is strongly affected by geodynamic events caused by mining. Radioactive waters and waste rocks released from mines cause contamination of rivers, bottom sediments and adjacent areas. Preliminary survey of radon in buildings in Upper Silesia was performed with use of charcoal detectors. The readout of the detectors was done by liquid scintillation counting. The results show, that on areas with thick layer of impermeable clays an average radon concentration in dwelling is lower than on areas where such isolation does not exist. On the other hand we found no correlation between radon level in houses and the radioactive contamination of the environment in the vicinity. We performed radon measurements in soils in these places where concentrations of radon in houses were highest. As predicted, we found highest radon levels in soil on areas with underlying permeable limestones and marls. This effect was additionally magnified by shallow underground mining. A lot of emptiness in coal beds near the surface are a source of radon exhalation. (author)

[en] As a result of a discharge of the radium-bearing waters from coal mines into rivers a significant increase of radium concentration in bottom sediments can be observed. Sometimes also a contamination of river banks, soils, and vegetation occurs. Mine waters contain mainly radium isotopes, i.e., Ra-226 from uranium series and Ra-228 from thorium series. Due to chemical properties of such brines, these waters contain usually no uranium, no thorium and rather seldom elevated concentrations of other isotopes as lead (Pb-210) and polonium (Po-210). The deposition or adsorption of radium on river sediments may take place on a distance of several kilometers from the discharge points. After a deposition or adsorption of radium isotopes the build-up of the activity of their progeny begins. Therefore concentrations of radium isotopes are higher than the decay products. We are able to measure the disequilibrium in Ra-226 decay chain as well as in Ra-228 decay chain, which shows the approximate age of the deposit. On the other hand, in upper layers of soil and in vegetation very often higher activities of lead and polonium than radium are measured. The reason of the enhancement is the fall-out of radon progeny from air on the plants and soil surface. Radium is transported into plants through the root system, and this pathway is not very efficient accordingly to the fact, that radium is normally present in soil in an insoluble form (as sulphate), even on areas contaminated by radioactive deposits. Investigations were done in selected areas in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. (author)

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[en] On basis of guidelines for development of QUALITY SYSTEM for a testing laboratory (European Standard Series EN 45000) a quality assurance system was implemented in gamma spectroscopy laboratory, where routine measurements of natural (mainly Ra-226, Ra-228, Ra-224, K-40) and artificial (mainly Cs-137 and Cs-134) isotopes are performed. We measure a variety of samples, but mainly coal, vaste rock, ashe, deposits, vegetation and air filters. Laboratory of gamma spectroscopy in Central Mining Institute has three HPGe detectors. There is one coaxial detector with 45% relative efficiency, one detector for low energy region and one detector with extended range). We have also two Ge(Li) detectors from former Czechoslovakia. Shielding is made mainly of steel (40 cm) with the interior covered with lead and copper. The electronics and software (Genie-PC) was bought at 'Canberra' and 'Silena'. The paper describes not only the system of quality assurance but also main problems met by its implementation and results of intercomparison measurements. The QAS has been introduced in 1992. In 1993 the Accreditation Certificate of Testing Laboratory for our Laboratory has been obtained from the Polish Bureau of Research and Certification as a fifth laboratory in Poland. (author)

[en] Saline waters occurring in underground coal mines in Poland often contain natural radioactive isotopes, mainly ²²⁶Ra from uranium series and ²²⁸Ra from thorium series. Approximately 40% of total amount of radium remains underground in a form of radioactive deposits, but 225 MBq of ²²⁶Ra and 380 MBq of ²²⁸Ra are released daily to the rivers with mine effluents. Technical measures as spontaneous precipitation of radium in gobs, decreasing of amounts of water inflowing into underground working etc. have been undertaken in several coal mines and in the result total amount of radium released to the surface waters diminished by about 60% during last 5-6 years. Mine waters can cause a severe impact on the natural environment. The enhancement of radium concentration in river waters, bottom sediments and vegetation is observed. Sometimes radium concentration in rivers exceeds 0.7 kBq/m³, which is due to Polish law a permissible level for liquid radioactive waste. It was necessary to undertake investigations for development the methods of the purification of mine waters from radium. The radium balance in effluents has been calculated and a map of radioactive contamination of river waters have been prepared. Solid wastes with enhanced natural radioactivity have been produced in huge amounts in energy and coal industries in Poland. There are two main sources of these waste products. As a result of combustion of coal in power plants low radioactive waste materials are produced, with ²²⁶Ra concentration seldom exceeding few hundreds of Bq/kg. Different situation is be observed in coal mines, where as a result of precipitation of radium from radium-bearing waters radioactive deposits are formed. Sometimes natural radioactivity of such materials is very high, in case of scaling from coal mines radium concentration may reach 4x10⁵ Bq/kg - similar activity as for 3% uranium ore. Therefore maintenance of solid waste with technologically enhanced natural radioactivity (TENR) is also a very important subject. (author)

[en] Study on children exposure from natural radon background has been performed on the example of nursery schools being localized in Piekary Slaskie in the coal mining region of Silesia. Indoor air contamination has been measured as well as soil air and air outside the houses. In none of examined places the exposure do not exceeded the IAEA acceptable level

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