Assessment of occupational radiation exposure in China

Since the eighties, the doses received by the workers of the nuclear industry system in China have been below 5 mSv, excluding uranium miners. Workers involved in the radioisotope and radiation applications received doses in the range of 1 similar to 2 mSv. Stringent and effective measures are required to be taken for the radioisotope and radiation applications due to high accident possibility. Average annual effective doses to underground workers in variety of occupations such as uranium, coal and non-ferrous metal mines are 19.3, 8.3 and 33.2 mSv respectively on the rough estimate basis. The nuclear industry contributes only 0.17% to collective dose. Contributions by coal and non-ferrous metal mining to collective dose account for 85.15% and 14.3% of the total respectively. The data available from coal and non-ferrous mines are less, associated with high uncertainty.