Potential health effects of radioactive emissions from active surface and underground uranium mines
As instructed by the US Congress in Section 114(c) of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a study to identify the location and potential health and environmental hazards of uranium mine wastes. This article summarizes the portion of the EPA study that addresses radioactive effluents associated with active surface and underground mines - 63 surface and 256 underground mines in seven states. Sources and amounts of pollutants released to the environment are estimated using model mines as a basis for the computations. Potential pathways of human exposure are selected from those which exist in the mining regions of the western United States. Health effect risks from each of the pathways are evaluated for a maximum-exposed individual living near the mine, the population within 80 km of the mine, and the average-exposed individual within the regional population. The greatest radiological health impact from active uranium mines is from /sup 222/Rn emissions.
- OSTI ID:
- 5296689
- Journal Information:
- Nucl. Saf.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Saf.; (United States) Vol. 23:4; ISSN NUSAA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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