Correlation of radioactive waste treatment costs and the environmental impact of waste effluents in the nuclear fuel cycle for use in establishing ''as low as practicable'' guides:  milling of uranium ores

Sears, M B; Blanco, R E; Dahlman, R C; Hill, G S; Ryon, A D; Witherspoon, J.P.

doi:10.2172/4186950

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…The average for Anaconda is 0.26%, for Kerr-McGee 0.08%, and for Uravan 0.46%. These average values of Th-230 content relative to U-238 are much smaller than the value of 5% utilized in previous studies of model uranium mills (Sears, 1975;NRC, 1979).…”

Section: Iocontrasting

confidence: 56%

Radioisotopic composition of yellowcake: an estimation of stack release rates

Momeni¹,

Kisieleski²,

Rayno³

et al. 1979

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Uranium concentrate (yellowcake) composites from four mills (Anaconda, Kerr-McGee, Highland, and Uravan) were analyzed for U-238, U-235, U-234, Th-230, Ra-226 and Pb-210. The ratio of specific activities of U-238 to U-234 in the composites suggested that secular radioactive equilibrium exists in the ore. The average activity ratios in the yellowcake were determined to be 2.7 x |0-3 (Th-230/U-238), 5 * \0~h (Ra-226/U-238) and 2 x lO" 1 * (Pb-2IO/U-238). Based on earlier EPA measurements of the release rates from the stacks, the amount of yellowcake released was determined to be 0.\% of the amount processed. The purpose of this study was to characterize yellowcake by its radioisotopic composition and estimate the release rate from stacks and packaging operations. Accordingly, samples were obtained from the following uranium mills: Anaconda Company (Grants, NM), Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corporation (Grants, NM), Union Carbide (Uravan, CO) and Exxon (Douglas, WY). These mills process the major portion of uranium mined in the United States and also represent the different geographical uranium-producing regions. Their processing characteristics are summarized below and have been previously reported in detail by Merritt (1971), Guccione (1974) and Coleman (1978). Anaconda Company, Bluewater, NM Leaching: Sulfuric acid and Mn02 Uranium Separation: Resin-in-pulp ion exchange (IRA-430 anion exchange resin with FeSO^ and MgO) to January 1, 1978. The process for extraction was changed to solvent extraction after an expansion in 1978.

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Section: Iocontrasting

confidence: 56%

Radioisotopic composition of yellowcake: an estimation of stack release rates

Momeni¹,

Kisieleski²,

Rayno³

et al. 1979

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“…Particular thanks go to Mr. D. R. Edwards for his valuable aid during installation of the test locations and data acquisition. tailings material was about four times higher than is normally found for soil and at least two times greater than values commonly applied to tailings material (9). Two factors are probably significant contributors.…”

Section: Acknowledgmentsmentioning

confidence: 69%

Measurement of radon diffusion and exhalation from uranium mill tailings piles

Silker¹,

Wogman²,

Thomas³

et al. 1979

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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The concentrations of 226Ra and 222Rn (214Pb) were measured as a function of depth within a uranium mill tailings pile by in situ y-ray spectrometry. Radon diffusion and exhalation rates were determined from the concentration gradients by employing an integral solution of the diffusion equation that accomqodates a nonuniform depth distribution of the parent radium. Radon diffusion coefficients of 0.0002 and 0.0017 cm2 s-l and exhalation rates of 60-275 atoms cm-2 s-l were determined for two locations with differing soil moisture content. This method evaluates diffusion and exhalation parameters from radon concentration changes that have occurred over time periods of several days. It, therefore, integrates shortterm variations due to changes in atmospheric and meteorological conditions that would ordinarily be measured by methods involving surface radon collection or accumulation techniques commonly applied to field studies.Release of 222Rn (hereafter called radon) from uranium mill tailings to the atmosphere results in one source of radiation exposure to populations as a consequence of the uranium mining and processing industry. Radon is the daughter of (hereafter called radium), which, not being depleted by the uranium extraction process, is associated with the spent feed material which is disposed to a tailings pile. Being a noble gas, radon can be produced in or diffuse into the interstitial pores of the soil column, and diffuse upward through the soil surface, escaping to the atmosphere. Any assessment of the radiological impact of the exhaled radon requires knowledge of its rate of release and the influence of various physical and meteorological parameters on this rate.A variety of approaches have been used to evaluate the quantities of radon released to the atmosphere from general soil areas or from specific sites. Most of these involve collection and subsequent analysis of radon or radon daughters from the air a t or above the soil surface. A common method involves direct accumulation in a container that is sealed to the soil surface, followed by removal of an aliquot for radon analysis ( I , 2). Countess ( 3 ) and Megumi and Mumuru ( 4 ) describe methods by which radon is absorbed directly onto a layer of activated charcoal placed on the soil surface. By definition, the radon concentration in the air column above a soil surface is equal to its flux across the soil--air interface. Determination of the atmospheric radon or radon daughter inventory as a measure of flux has been employed by many investigators; e.g., see ref 5 and 6. While these techniques afford useful data on instantaneous radon emanation, they provide little or no information concerning total radon exhalation or the diffusion parameters involved in migration of radon to the soil surface. We took a more mechanistic approach, basically measuring the changes of concentration of radium and radon, as its 214Pb daughter, as a function of depth in the soil column by in situ y-ray spectrometry. From the rate of change of parentdaughter concentratio...

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“…(22) Capital cost for HEPA filter installations were estimated at $18/cfm and annual operating and maintenance costs at $1.30/cfm. (24) The total annual cost would be $143,000. The capital cost would be about $2,000,000.…”

Section: And 43) the Fraction Of 90 Sr Released Is 23 X 10-9 (17mentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey of LWR environmental control technology performance and cost

Heeb¹,

Aaberg²,

Cole³

et al. 1980

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The comprehensive list of radioactive effluents is contained in Appendix A. This list gives the relative ranking factors for each effluent associated with each of the three fuel cycle scenarios. The ranking factors for the whole body, thyroid, gastrointestinal tract, and lung are listed. Gross release of radioactivity in curies is given for the hundred-year period and for the year 2000. Appendix B lists the year 2000 and the hundred-year total for each of the three scenarios for nonradioactive releases from each plant in the nuclear fuel cycle. Tables of the amount released and of the dilution factors are included. Appendix C contains a list of the accumulated dose to the population from unit annual releases of each of the highest ranking radioactive effluents. A 40-year plant life with 30 years of additional dose accumulation at the midwestern reference site is assumed. Radiation exposure pathway summaries and combined pathway totals are given for air and water releases. These doses are used to calculate the total man-rem savings for each control technology. The cost-benefit ratios (in units of $/man-rem) are based on these man-rem savings numbers, and are included in the discussion of each effluent control alternative addressed.

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Correlation of radioactive waste treatment costs and the environmental impact of waste effluents in the nuclear fuel cycle for use in establishing ''as low as practicable'' guides: milling of uranium ores

Cited by 18 publications

References 0 publications

Radioisotopic composition of yellowcake: an estimation of stack release rates

Radioisotopic composition of yellowcake: an estimation of stack release rates

Measurement of radon diffusion and exhalation from uranium mill tailings piles

Survey of LWR environmental control technology performance and cost

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