Environmental impact assessment of a uranium mine, East Carpathians, Romania: Metal distribution and partitioning of U and Th - Mines Saint-Étienne
Journal Articles Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences Year : 2007

Environmental impact assessment of a uranium mine, East Carpathians, Romania: Metal distribution and partitioning of U and Th

Abstract

ICP and XRF Spectroscopy methods were used to evaluate the metals (ppm) from soils for the mining dumps of Crucea-Botusana uranium deposit (Bistrita Mountains, Romania). The sequential extraction has emphasized the fact that U is associated with all the mineral fractions present in the soil samples. A great percentage of U can be found in the carbonate, organic and oxides fractions. The percentage of U detected in the exchangeable fraction is rather small. The fact that 21.77% of the total U can be found in the specifically absorbed and carbonate bound fraction, indicated the important role played by the carbonates in the retention of U; one the other hand this fraction is liable to release U if the pH should happen to change. Th appear in high-enough concentration in the soil is scarcely available because 70.29% is present in residual fraction, and about 21.78% in the organic and oxides fractions. This is certainly due to the fact that this naturally occurring radionuclide can be associated with relatively insoluble mineral phases like alumino-silicates and refractory oxides. Its association with the organic matter suggests that it can form soluble organic complexes that can facilitate its removal by the stream waters.
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Dates and versions

emse-00613084 , version 1 (02-08-2011)

Identifiers

  • HAL Id : emse-00613084 , version 1

Cite

Lucian Petrescu, Essaid Bilal. Environmental impact assessment of a uranium mine, East Carpathians, Romania: Metal distribution and partitioning of U and Th. Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2007, 2 (1), pp.39-50. ⟨emse-00613084⟩
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