Mudd reported in 2008 that the release of radon gas and progeny from the mining and milling of uranium-bearing ores has long been recognized as a potential radiological health hazard [FACT CHECK: By whom?]. The standards for exposure to radon and progeny have decreased over time as the understanding of their health risk has improved. In recent years there has been debate on the long-term releases (10,000 years) of radon from uranium mining and milling sites, focusing on abandoned, operational and rehabilitated sites. The primary purpose has been estimates of the radiation exposure of both local and global populations. Although there has been an increasing number of radon release studies over recent years in the USA, Australia, Canada and elsewhere, a systematic evaluation of this work has yet to be published in the international literature, and of the literature available, little if any concerns were raised in American reporting.].
The author presents a detailed compilation and analysis of Australian studies. In order to quantify radon sources, a review of data on uranium mining and milling wastes in Australia, as they influence radon releases, is presented. An extensive compilation of the available radon release data is then assembled for the various projects, including a comparison to predictions of radon behavior where available. An analysis of cumulative radon releases is then developed and compared to the UNSCEAR approach. The implications for the various assessments of long-term releases of radon are discussed, including aspects such as the need for ongoing monitoring of rehabilitation at uranium mining and milling sites and life-cycle accounting, [although such reporting has been discounted in the U.S. as being more or less like a fly's impact on elephant balls].
The author concluded that this paper has presented a detailed compilation and analysis of radon exhalation and releases from Australian uranium mining and milling projects. The primary purpose was to estimate normalized [aka guesstimated by extrapolation] tailings and waste rock data and radon exhalation and release rates for a standard reactor year of uranium production to assess the efficacy of the UNSCEAR approach to long-term radon release from uranium mining (and consequent global population radiological doses). Overall, the UNSCEAR data for solid waste parameters are reasonable though it ignore potential major sources such as waste rock and low-grade ore.
The extensive Australian data compiled for radon exhalation and releases for the various components of uranium mining and milling demonstrate wide variation and data quality, and show that waste rock and low-grade ores can be significant sources of radon. Importantly, the evidence on the effectiveness of rehabilitation works in reducing radon exhalation and releases is not convincing, especially when comparing cumulative changes from pre-mining conditions. Further work is required to ascertain whether this is due to design conflicts between revegetation or radon exhalation reduction requirements for engineered covers.
When adopting more realistic data for tailings and waste rock, the UNSCEAR approach appears to underestimate the radon released from a standard reactor year of uranium production, though this needs to be moderated by the uncertain long-term effectiveness of engineered rehabilitation works. This paper has also shown that there is potential for uranium mining and milling to increase long-term radon releases into the adjacent environment relative to baseline or pre-mining conditions [FACT CHECK: Idle speculation]. In summary, these issues remain to be recognized in the broader debate about life-cycle analyses of uranium mining and nuclear power [aka pure pandering to anti-nuclear and anti-mining groups in Australia, elsewhere].
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
