1AEA-TECDOC-827 Application of uranium exploration data and techniques in environmental studies Proceedings of a Technical Committee meeting held in Vienna, 9-12 November 1993 WJ INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY October 1995 The IAEA does not normally maintain stocks of reports in this series. However, microfiche copies of these reports can be obtained from IN IS Clearinghouse International Atomic Energy Agency Wagramerstrasse 5 P.O. Box 100 A-1400 Vienna, Austria Orders should be accompanied by prepayment of Austrian Schillings 100,- in the form of a cheque or in the form of IAEA microfiche service coupons which may be ordered separately from the IN IS Clearinghouse. IAEA-TECDOC-827 Application of uranium exploration data and techniques in environmental studies Proceedings of a Technical Committee meeting held in Vienna, 9-12 November 1993 ffl INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY /A> The originating Section of this publication in the IAEA was: Nuclear Materials and Fuel Cycle Technology Section International Atomic Energy Agency Wagramerstrasse 5 P.O. Box 100 A-1400 Vienna, Austria APPLICATION OF URANIUM EXPLORATION DATA AND TECHNIQUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IAEA, VIENNA, 1995 IAEA-TECDOC-827 ISSN 1011-4289 © IAEA, 1995 Printed by the IAEA in Austria October 1995 FOREWORD During recent years, the degradation of the environment has become the subject of daily conversation, as well as popular and scientific articles. Usually the concern is man's destruction or alteration of the perceived natural environment. More often than not there is little understanding that the earth's natural environment is largely determined by the underlying geology, and its derivatives, modified by the local biosphere and climatic conditions. Without reliable baseline information, studies and monitoring of the environment may be distorted. Exploration for mineral commodities, uranium included, normally utilizes extensive, systematic geophysical and geochemical surveys covering very large areas, often entire countries. This information represents a great wealth of data that could be used to produce baseline information for environmental studies and monitoring. It is with this appreciation that IAEA convened a Technical Committee meeting with the purpose of bringing together experts in uranium exploration, geophysics and geochemistry to discuss and exchange information on the benefits of past exploration data and commonly applied techniques in environmental studies. The Technical Committee Meeting on the Use of Uranium Exploration Data and Techniques in Environmental Studies was held in Vienna from 9 to 12 November 1993 and was attended by 44 participants from 23 countries and one international organization. Thirty-two papers covering case histories on the use of old uranium exploration data to prepare exposure dose rate and radon potential maps, the use of airborne gamma ray spectrometric systems to monitor nuclear power plants and nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and the use of similar systems in response to emergency measures in the case of accidental releases were presented. The IAEA is grateful to those participants who contributed papers and took part in the discussion. Special thanks are extended to F. Barthel (Germany), A.G. Darnley (Canada), J.K. Otton (USA) and M. Matolin (Czech Republic), who chaired the sessions. The IAEA staff member responsible for the organization and implementation of the meeting was M. Tauchid of the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Management. EDITORIAL NOTE In preparing this publication for press, staff of the IAEA have made up the pages from the original manuscripts as submitted by the authors. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the governments of the nominating Member States or of the nominating organizations. Throughout the text names of Member States are retained as they were when the text was compiled. The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgement by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries. The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA. The authors are responsible for having obtained the necessary permission for the IAEA to reproduce, translate or use material from sources already protected by copyrights. CONTENTS Summary of the Technical Committee meeting 7 r ' Uranium exploration data, international geochemical mapping and the environment 9 -' A.G. Darnley Development and calibration of an airborne radiometric measuring system 25 V-. ,\ G.F. Schwarz, L. Rybach, C.K. Bdrlocher, E.E. Klingele Standardization of old gamma ray survey data 35 \/\{ R.L. Grasty, M. Tauchid, L. Torres The relevance of airborne and ground gamma ray spectrometry to global geochemical baseline 47 j^,', A.G. Darnley Consistency of radiometric data (Abstract) 59 /^ {•' M. Matolin Data processing and mapping in airborne radioactivity surveys 61 [/ -• G.F. Schwarz, L. Rybach, E.E. Klingele Environmental applications of airborne gamma spectrometry 71 fj D.C.W. Sanderson, J.D. Allyson, A.N. Tyler, EM. Scott Environmental monitoring by airborne gamma ray spectrometry, experience at the Geological Survey of Canada 93 \'l j\ R.L. Grasty Airborne gamma ray measurements in radioactive cloud — Experience at the Geological Survey of Finland 103 \fl ^ J. Multala Use of uranium airborne survey data in the preparation of a radiometric map of Spain .... 109 '/• A E. Sudrez Mahou, J.A. Fernandez Amigot '"" The natural radioactivity map of Portugal 127 /" ,] LM. Torres, R.L. Grasty '' Uranium resource assessment and exploration data for geologic radon potential assessment in the United States 135 '/[ /v J.K. Otton, L.C.S. Gundersen, R.R. Schumann, G.M. Reimer, J.S. Duval The use of uranium exploration data for mapping radon potential in the UK — ify / Advantages and pitfalls 139 T.K. Ball, D.G. Cameron, T.B. Colman, P.D. Roberts The role of airborne gamma spectrometric data in the radon programme of the , \ < Czech Republic 151 /. Barnet The use of airborne radiometric and exploration survey data and techniques in radon , risk mapping in Sweden 159 ',v A G. Akerblom Quantitative modelling of radon potential in Florida and the use of aeroradiometric data (Summary) 181 ^ f\ J.K. Otton, K.K. Nielson, R.B. Brown, P.D. Zwick, T.M. Scott Radon levels of rock formations in Israel (Summary) 185 ^ ^ U. Vulkan, M. Shirav (Schwartz), Y. Shiloni The role of mobile gamma spectrometry in the Swedish emergency response programme ( ,-, . for nuclear accidents — experience and future plans 187 ' ^ j\ H. Mellander Rapid quantification and mapping of radiometric data for anthropogenic and technologically enhanced natural nuclides 197 D.C.W. Sanderson, J.D. Allyson, A.N. Tyler j/1 y\ Natural background radioactivities and geochemical map of Slovenia 217 M. Andjelov, J. Tomsic, M. Pecnik \J l\ Use of gamma ray spectrometric survey for radioecological mapping in Poland 231 R. Strzelecki, S. Wolkowicz, J. Szewczyk, P. Lewandowski y ^ The use of cai-boine gamma lay data for the study on natural radiation 2?° Y. Nagasaki, Y. Ochiai, S. Soma, K. Tsubota i/; / A calculation of the gamma radiation dose from radionuclide concentration in Istrian soils, /v ' Croatia 247 E. Prohic, D. Barisic, S. Lulic '/[ ' Geochemical exploration and development of monitoring for environmental controls 257 MA. Gamba, G. Tomellini \p A The contribution of applied geophysics for the estimation of the radioelement contamination '' of the environment 281 . , G.N. Sideris, K.N. Papaconstantinou, N.N. Papadopoulos i' ;- Environmental aeroradioactivity levels in the Suez-Canal zone, Egypt 291 A A. Ammar, KM. Fouad, M.L. Maleik, A.M. Elsirafe, E.M. Elkattan ,. %- Agrigeochemical maps from uranium exploration data 307 G. Santos, N. Garcia C' f.J Radiation detection of buried shielded sources in vehicles loaded with scrap steel 315 7 J- R. Cox ' / / Gravity data inversion as a probe for the 3D shape at depth of granitic bodies 319 J.L. Vigneresse, M. Cuney I [) Natural geological factors affecting the environment in the areas of sandstone type uranium deposits worked by underground leaching 339 I.G. Mel'nik, V.I. Vetrov, A.A. Kazakov List of Participants 349 SUMMARY OF THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING It is not uncommon that a technique developed for a certain purpose might find an application in a completely different field. A notable example is the use of airborne gamma ray spectrometer techniques, developed primarily lor uranium exploration, tor locating and mapping debris of the fallen Russian satellite, COSMOS-954, in northern Canada in 1978; finding lost cobalt sources in the USA; and more recently, rapidly mapping fallout from Chernobyl. Similarly, information collected for the assessment of uranium resources has also been the base for the preparation of natural radioactivity or exposure dose rate and radon potential maps in a number of countries. It is for this reason that a Technical Committee Meeting on the Use of Uranium Exploration Data and Techniques in Environmental Studies was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The meeting was held in Vienna from 9 to 12 November 1993 and attracted a large number of prominent workers in this field. The technical papers presented represent a collection