Effects of barium chloride treatment of uranium mill tailings and ore on radon emanation and /sup 226/Ra levels. Progress report
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of barium chloride treatments on: reduction of /sup 222/Rn emanation from mill wastes; reduction of /sup 226/Ra levels in wastewater; and decreased leachability of /sup 226/Ra from mill wastes. Baseline /sup 226/Ra concentrations were determined for ore and tailings as well as radon emanation fractions. Uranium ore was treated with soluble barium at concentrations of 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg per litre of slurry. The leach-liquor declined in /sup 226/Ra concentration by as much as 50%. When soluble potassium as well as barium was used in the treatment process at equal concentrations of 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg per litre of slurry, a similar reduction was observed. No significant difference was noted between the two treatment regimes. An accelerated leaching experiment was performed on the ore treated with barium chloride. All treatment groups except that treated with 10 mg of soluble barium per litre of slurry showed significant decreases in leachability. Available /sup 222/Rn (corresponds with radon emanation fraction) was measured in treated and untreated ore. Ore treated with concentrations of Ba/sup + +/ up to 1.00 mg per gram of ore did not show a statistically significant reduction in available /sup 222/Rn, however when potassium sulfate was also added, a significant decline was noted. This study suggests that barium chloride treatments reduce radon emanation from mill wastes and reduce /sup 226/Ra levels in wastewater. Leachability of /sup 226/Ra from treated samples decreased markedly. 19 references, 8 figures, 7 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA). Dept. of Radiology and Radiation Biology
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-79EV10305
- OSTI ID:
- 6445802
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/EV/10305-12; ON: DE85000010
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
510300* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BARIUM CHLORIDES
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISSOLUTION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LEACHING
MATERIALS
MILL TAILINGS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ORES
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM 226
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
REMEDIAL ACTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLID WASTES
TAILINGS
URANIUM ORES
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES