Zirconium Silicate and Exposure to Ionizing Radiation in Ceramic Industry

Zircon sands have natural radioactivity and can be found as raw materials and as a by-product of mining and processing of heavy minerals sand. This sand is used in ceramics industry, directly or incorporated in frits. So, workers exposed to ionizing radiation in their workplace should be considered a population at risk. As a general research objective, the external dose of ionizing radiation in different types of activity in a ceramic industry company is measured and this dose is, then, related with the use and/or presence of zirconium silicate. This study was observational (analytical), with a cross-sectional timeline and level of knowledge II (Descriptive—Correlational). The study was located in the glazes preparation section of a ceramic company. The study universe consisted of several workplaces in a ceramic industry company. The sampling method applied was non-probabilistic and regarding the sampling technique was for convenience. For the elaboration of this work, a bibliographic review on the subject was carried out and measurements using a portable radiometer were made in a ceramics plant. It was verified that workers could be exposed to external dose values of ionizing radiation higher than the background radiation, depending on the activity performed, for example, the load of the mill with zirconium silicate and also in the storage of raw materials with zirconium silicate. This study identified that workers in the ceramic industry, in particular those working in the glaze preparation, could be exposed to higher external doses of ionizing radiation than public in general.