Handling NORM : Examples of work from uranium mining and other operations Riaz Akber contact

Handling NORM : Examples of work from uranium mining and other operations Riaz Akber contact Uranium mines and mills Bauxite mines Mineral sands Natural

Handling NORM : Examples of work from uranium mining and other operations Riaz Akber contact NORM in Water NORM in Air External gamma Measurement of NORM

238 U 4.47x10 9 y 226 Ra 1600 y 214 Pb 26.8 m 222 Rn 3.82 d 218 Po 3.1 m 234 Th 24.1 d 234m Pa 1.18 m 234 U 2.5x10 5 y 230 Th 7.5x10 4 y 206 Pb Stable 210 Pb 22.3 y 214 Bi 19.7 m 214 Po 164 µs 210 Bi 5.01 d 210 Po 138 d NORM – 238 U series

238 U 4.47x10 9 y 226 Ra 1600 y 214 Pb 26.8 m 222 Rn 3.82 d 218 Po 3.1 m 234 Th 24.1 d 234m Pa 1.18 m 234 U 2.5x10 5 y 230 Th 7.5x10 4 y 206 Pb Stable 210 Pb 22.3 y 214 Bi 19.7 m 214 Po 164 µs 210 Bi 5.01 d 210 Po 138 d NORM – 238 U series

238 U 4.47x10 9 y 226 Ra 1600 y 214 Pb 26.8 m 222 Rn 3.82 d 218 Po 3.1 m 234 Th 24.1 d 234m Pa 1.18 m 234 U 2.5x10 5 y 230 Th 7.5x10 4 y 206 Pb Stable 210 Pb 22.3 y 214 Bi 19.7 m 214 Po 164 µs 210 Bi 5.01 d 210 Po 138 d NORM – 238 U series

238 U 4.47x10 9 y 226 Ra 1600 y 214 Pb 26.8 m 222 Rn 3.82 d 218 Po 3.1 m 234 Th 24.1 d 234m Pa 1.18 m 234 U 2.5x10 5 y 230 Th 7.5x10 4 y 206 Pb Stable 210 Pb 22.3 y 214 Bi 19.7 m 214 Po 164 µs 210 Bi 5.01 d 210 Po 138 d NORM – 238 U series 228 Ra 5.75 y 232 Th series

238 U 4.47x10 9 y 226 Ra 1600 y 214 Pb 26.8 m 222 Rn 3.82 d 218 Po 3.1 m 234 Th 24.1 d 234m Pa 1.18 m 234 U 2.5x10 5 y 230 Th 7.5x10 4 y 206 Pb Stable 210 Pb 22.3 y 214 Bi 19.7 m 214 Po 164 µs 210 Bi 5.01 d 210 Po 138 d NORM – 238 U series 228 Ra 5.75 y 232 Th series 1 Bq (becquerel) = 1 Nuclear disintegration per second Sv (sievert), Gy (gray) : Units of radiation dose

NORM in Water NORM in Air External gamma Measurement of NORM

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Activity Water Activity Soil Strong Absorption Weak Desorption

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Typical 226 Ra activity concentration Water:  m Bq.kg -1 Soil:  Bq.kg -1 Activity Water Activity Soil Strong Absorption Weak Desorption

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Typical 226 Ra activity concentration Water:  m Bq.kg -1 Soil:  Bq.kg -1 Activity Water Activity Soil Strong Absorption Weak Desorption Overland flow and ponding of water improves its quality – by removing radioactivity from aqueous to solid phase. Wetland Filtration Natural, Engineered

Spa waters Helidon 226 Ra activity concentration (Bq.L -1 ) 1.27, 1.22, 1.1, 0.62, 0.50

Spa waters Helidon 226 Ra activity concentration (Bq.L -1 ) 1.27, 1.22, 1.1, 0.62, 0.50

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Overland flow and ponding of water improves its quality – by removing radioactivity from aqueous to solid phase. Wetland Filtration Natural, Engineered 1.13 ± 0.02 Bq.L ± Bq.L -1 WATER

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Overland flow and ponding of water improves its quality – by removing radioactivity from aqueous to solid phase. Wetland Filtration Natural, Engineered 911 ± 14 Bq.L ± 10 Bq.kg -1 SEDIMENT / SOIL 17 ± 2 Bq.L -1 Koulouris, Dharmasiri, Akber 1996

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Overland flow and ponding of water improves its quality – by removing radioactivity from aqueous to solid phase. Wetland Filtration Natural, Engineered

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Wetland Filtration Natural, Engineered Akber, Johnston, Hancock 1992 U Ra Mg

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Land Application + H 2 O H2OH2O Application Soil surface Sub surface

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Land Application + H 2 O H2OH2O Application Soil surface Sub surface

NORM Aqueous – Solid phase Land Application 226 Ra 228 Ra Akber, Marten 1992 Outside Irrigated Land Irrigated Land

NORM in Water NORM in Air External gamma Measurement of NORM

NORM Radon – 222 Rn Soil surface Interstitial space Soil grain 2: Rn migration 3: Rn exhalation 1: Rn emanation

2 1 0 Pb y 222Rn222Rn α 214Bi214Bi 214Pb214Pb 218Po218Po 226Ra226Ra 214Po214Po R a y R a y P b y NORM Radon – 222 Rn

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon comes out of the U rocks? Holdsworth, Akber 2004

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon comes out of the U rocks? Akber, Jeffries, Dharmasiri 2002

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon exhales from ground? INSERT AFKAR HERE

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon exhales from ground?

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon exhales from ground?

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon exhales from ground? Vegetated or rehabilitated woodland

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon exhales from ground? Vegetated or rehabilitated woodland Compacted with no vegetation

Vegetated or rehabilitated woodland Compacted with no vegetation Non compacted fine grains NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon exhales from ground?

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon exhales from ground? Lawrence, Akber (to be finalised 2005) Vegetated or rehabilitated woodland Compacted with no vegetation Non compacted fine grains Non compacted boulders

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon is in air ? Total flow rate = 4000 m -3.s -1

NORM Radon – 222 Rn How much radon is in air ? Akber, Jeffries, Dharmasiri (2002)

NORM Dust Akber, Dharmasiri (1996) AMAD Next to the operating station 8.4  m 12 m away 5.9  m

NORM in Water NORM in Air External gamma Measurement of NORM

NORM External gamma radiation Sand Dune Abandoned tailings Mineral sand derivatives

NORM External gamma radiation H Total = a C U + b C Th + c C K + H Cosmic Cosmic radiation dose (nGy.h -1 ) Potassium concentration (%) Thorium concentration (ppm) Uranium concentration (ppm) External gamma dose (nGy.h -1 )

NORM External gamma radiation H Total = a C U + b C Th + c C K + H Cosmic C U = (A 1 H Total – A 2 ) C U  0.16 (H Total – 66)

NORM External gamma radiation H Total = a C U + b C Th + c C K + H Cosmic C U = (A 1 H Total – A 2 ) C U  0.16 (H Total – 66)

NORM External gamma radiation H Total = a C U + b C Th + c C K + H Cosmic C U = (A 1 H Total – A 2 ) C U  0.16 (H Total – 66) Akber, Lawrence, Bollhoefer, Martin 2004

NORM External gamma radiation H Total = a C U + b C Th + c C K + H Cosmic C U = (A 1 H Total – A 2 ) C U  0.16 (H Total – 66) Akber, Lawrence, Bollhoefer, Martin 2004

NORM in Water NORM in Air External gamma Measurement of NORM

NORM Measurement

NORM Measurement

NORM Measurement

Riaz Akber