Abstract
Tailings originating from the U ore processing operation are returned to the mine as back-fill and the rest are dumped in a manmade or naturally available impoundment facility. This impoundment facility-tailings pond — becomes the repository of a significant amount of Ra which may be dissolved and transported under some favorable conditions. Investigations were carried out to study possible dissolution of Ra from the tailings pond of the acid-leach processing plant operating in India.
The size fraction analysis of the tailings deposited indicated that 80% of the particles had sizes below 74 gm. The specific activity of Ra in tailings increases as the particle size decreases. Only 0.5% of Ra from tailings were solubilized by leaching with rain water. Chloride ions enhanced the leachability of Ra by more than 13%. Ammonium acetate, ammonium nitrate and EDTA were found to remove 20%, 30% and 65% of the Ra, respectively. The containment of tailings is essential in view of its potential for release of Ra into the environment.
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This study is partially supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna under Research Contract No. 2895/RB.
Environmental Studies Section, Health Physics Division, BARC.
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Markose, P.M., Raghavayya, M. & Pillai, K.C. Leachability of radium from uranium mill tailings. Water Air Soil Pollut 26, 95–104 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299492
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299492