US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY-RESEARCH ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL FATE OF URANIUM MINING AND MILLING WASTES

被引：51

作者：

LANDA, ER

GRAY, JR

机构：

[1] US Geological Survey, 430 National Center, Reston, 22092, Virginia

来源：

ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY | 1995年 / 26卷 / 01期

关键词：

URANIUM MINING; MILLING WASTES; RADIONUCLIDES;

D O I：

10.1007/BF00776028

中图分类号：

X [环境科学、安全科学];

学科分类号：

08 ; 0830 ;

摘要：

Studies by the US Geological Survey (USGS) of uranium mill tailings (UMT) have focused on characterizing the forms in which radionuclides are retained and identifying factors influencing the release of radionuclides to air and water. Selective extraction studies and studies of radionuclide sorption by and leaching from components of UMT showed alkaline earth sulfate and hydrous ferric oxides to be important hosts of radium-226 (Ra-226) in UMT. Extrapolating from studies of barite dissolution in anerobic lake sediments, the leaching of Ra-226 from UMT by sulfate-reducing bacteria was investigated; a marked increase in Ra-226 release to aqueous solution as compared to sterile controls was demonstrated. A similar action of iron(III)-reducing bacteria was later shown. Ion exchangers such as clay minerals can also promote the dissolution of host-phase minerals and thereby influence the fate of radionuclides such as Ra-226. Radon release studies examined particle size and ore composition as variables. Aggregation of UMT particles was shown to mask the higher emanating fraction of finer particles. Studies of various ores and ore components showed that UMT cannot be assumed to have the same radon-release characteristics as their precursor ores, nor can Ra-226 retained by various substrates be assumed to emanate the same fraction of radon. Over the last decade, USGS research directed at offsite mobility of radionuclides from uranium mining and milling processes has focused on six areas: the Midnite Mine in Washington; Ralston Creek and Reservoir, Colorado; sites near Canon City, Colorado; the Monument Valley District of Arizona and Utah; the Cameron District of Arizona; and the Puerco River basin of Arizona and New Mexico.

引用

页码：19 / 31

页数：13

共 33 条

[1]

Benes P., Sedlacek J., Sebesta F., Sandrik R., John J., Method of selective dissolution for characterization of particulate forms of radium and barium in natural and waste waters, Water Res, 15, pp. 1299-1304, (1981)

[2]

Eberl D.D., Landa E.R., Dissolution of alkaline earth sulfates in the presence of montmorillonite, Water Air Soil Pollut, 25, pp. 207-214, (1985)

[3]

Gray J.R., Fisk G.G., Monitoring radionuclide and suspended sediment transport in the Little Colorado River basin, Arizona and New Mexico, USA, International symposium on erosion and sediment transport monitoring programmes in riverbasins, pp. 505-516, (1992)

[4]

Gray J.R., Webb R.H., Radionuclides in the Puerco and Lower Little Colorado river basins, New Mexico and Arizona, before 1987, US Geol Surv Bull, 1971, pp. 297-311, (1991)

[5]

Gorby Y., Lovley D.R., Enzymatic uranium precipitation, Environ Sci Technol, 26, pp. 205-207, (1992)

[6]

Hebel L.C., Report to the American Physical Society by the study group on nuclear fuel cycles and waste management, Reviews of Modern Physics, 50, 1, pp. S1-S186, (1978)

[7]

Ibrahim S.A., Flot S.L., Whicker F.W., Concentrations and observed behavior of226Ra and210Po around uranium mill tailings: Proceedings of the international symposium on management waste from uranium mining and mining. Albuquerque, NM, 10–14 May 1982, pp. 339-352, (1982)

[8]

Ibrahim S.A., Flot S.L., Whicker F.W., Concentration and biological availability of238U and230Th in the environs of a uranium milling operation, Geotechnical Engineering Program, pp. 149-163, (1982)

[9]

Lakshmanan V.I., Ashbrook A.W., Radium balance studies at the Beaverlodge mill of Eldorado Nuclear Limited, Seminar on management, stabilisation and environmental impact of uranium mill tailings, pp. 51-64, (1978)

[10]

Landa E.R., Leaching of radionuclides from uranium ore and mill tailings, Uranium, 1, pp. 53-64, (1982)

← 1 2 3 4 →