ISSN:
1745-6584
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
,
Geosciences
Notes:
Ground-water contamination from uranium mining and milling results from the infiltration of mine, mill, and ion-exchange plant effluents containing elevated concentrations of radium, selenium, and nitrate. Available data indicate that radium concentrations in the discharge waters of a producing mine tend to increase substantially as the ore body is developed. Whereas natural background radium concentrations are generally about several picocuries/liter (pCi/l), 100 to 150 pCi/l appear in the effluents of operating mines. The discharge of such highly contaminated mine effluents to streams and seepage from tailings ponds, creates a long-lived source of ground-water contamination. Seepage of mill tailings at two active mills ranges from 126,000 to 491,000 m3/yr and, to date, has contributed an estimated 2400 Curies of uranium, radium, and thorium to the ground-water reservoir. The shallow aquifer in use and downgradient from another mill has been grossly contaminated with selenium, attributable to excessive seepage from a nearby tailings pond.Radium, selenium, nitrate and, to a lesser extent, uranium, are of most value as indicators of ground-water contamination. Gross alpha results are not consistent indicators of radium or uranium in water, although uranium does appear to be the principal contributor of alpha activity. Accurate radium-s226 analyses yield the most information for radiological evaluation of drinking water.To date, no adverse impacts on municipal groundwater supplies have been observed. However, industry-sponsored environmental monitoring programs are inadequately designed and implemented, and may not define the full, long-term impact of mining and milling operations on the ground-water quality of the study area.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1976.tb03119.x
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