Uranium and thorium leached from uranium mill tailing of Guangdong Province, China and its implication for radiological risk.
Radiat Prot Dosimetry
; 152(1-3): 215-9, 2012 Nov.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22923251
ABSTRACT
The paper focused on the leaching behaviour of uranium (U) and thorium (Th) from uranium mill tailing collected from the Uranium Mill Plant in Northern Guangdong Province, China. Distilled water (pH 6) and sulphuric acid solution (pH 4 and 3) were used as solvent for the leaching over 22 weeks. It was found that the cumulative leach fraction from the mill tailing was 0.1, 0.1 and 0.7 % for U release, and overall 0.01 % for Th release, using distilled water, sulphuric acid solution of pH 4 and pH 3 as leaching agents, respectively. The results indicate that (1) the release of U and Th in uranium mill tailing is a slow and long-term process; (2) surface dissolution is the main mechanism for the release of U and Th when sulphuric acid solution of pH 3 is employed as the leaching agent; (3) both U and Th are released by diffusion when using sulphuric acid solution of pH 4 as the leaching agent and (4) U is released by surface dissolution, while Th is released by diffusion when using distilled water as the leaching agent. The implication for radiological risk in the real environment was also discussed.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Radioisótopos
/
Monitoramento de Radiação
/
Tório
/
Urânio
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Radiat Prot Dosimetry
Ano de publicação:
2012
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
China