Risk due to N.O.R.M Exposure

Health risks from exposure to low levels of NORM are low. However, activities involving the extraction, mining, beneficiating, processing, use, transfer, transport, storage, disposal, and/or recycling of NORM-containing or NORM-contaminated materials may increase exposure levels to workers and other individuals to levels of concern.

From a health/safety position, the greatest hazard posed by NORM is not from external exposure, but from inhalation and ingestion of NORM scale which may emit alpha, beta and gamma radiation.  NORM exposure typically occurs in any one of three ways:

• Breathing in through the nose & mouth resulting in NORM particles being taken into respiratory system.
• Taken by mouth resulting in NORM particles being taken into the digestive system.
• Taken into the bloodstream through open cuts or wounds [injection].

External and Internal Hazard

These properties determine effect on health.

• Gammas can penetrate body from outside and damage deep internal cells. This penetration makes them an External Hazard.
• Alphas/betas cannot penetrate far into body from outside. However if alpha/beta emitting materials enter the body, particularly the lungs, the size and charge of the alpha and beta particles makes them very damaging to the cells they hit. This makes alpha and beta particles an Internal Hazard.  Radium is selectively absorbed by bones