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Radon emanation from backfilled mill tailings in underground uranium mine
Patitapaban Sahu1, Devi Prasad Mishra1, Durga Charan Panigrahi1
1Department of Mining Engineering, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad 826 004, Jharkhand, India.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
|January 14, 2014
Summary
Mill tailings used as backfill in uranium mines can release radon. This study quantifies radon emanation from Jaduguda mine tailings, finding moisture content significantly impacts release rates.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geology
- Nuclear Science
Background:
- Underground uranium mines utilize mill tailings for backfilling, posing a potential radon contamination risk.
- Radon (Rn) is a radioactive gas and a significant health hazard, particularly in enclosed mining environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess radon emanation from backfilled mill tailings in the Jaduguda mine, India.
- To investigate the influence of key parameters like radium-226 activity, moisture content, and emanation factor on radon release.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a cylindrical accumulator for measuring radon emanation rates.
- Determined parameters including radium-226 activity concentration, bulk density, porosity, and moisture content in laboratory settings.
Main Results:
- Radon emanation rates ranged from 0.12-7.03 Bq m⁻² s⁻¹, with a geometric mean of 1.01 Bq m⁻² s⁻¹.
- Emanation rates increased with moisture saturation up to 0.09, then declined due to reduced diffusion.
- Radon emanation factor varied from 0.08-0.23, being higher in moist tailings compared to dry ones.
Conclusions:
- Moisture content is a critical factor influencing radon emanation from mine tailings.
- A strong positive linear correlation (r=0.95) was found between radon emanation rate and radium-226 activity concentration, enabling predictive modeling.
Keywords:
(222)Rn emanation rate(226)Ra activity concentrationBackfilled mill tailingsEmanation factorMoisture contentUnderground uranium mineMore Related Videos
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