Radioactive pollution in boun coal mining areas in western Zhejiang

Western Zhejiang is very rich in boun (stone) coal resources. It is widely used in the manufacturing of boun coal products and as fuel in some power plants and in villages of mountainous areas. However, the contents of radioactive nuclides such as uranium, radium and thorium are high in some boun coal and its products. Uranium and thorium are parent elements of radon. They release radon gas unceasingly after decay, polluting the atmosphere and environment of dwelling rooms. The radon concentration in dwelling rooms and the annual radiation dose equivalent of the habitants in the mining areas greatly exceed the standards, to the detriment of the human health. On the basis of an analysis of the pollution of radioactive elements in boun coal mining areas, boun coal power stations, its products and dwelling rooms, this paper puts forward corresponding counter-measures.