Extraction of Uranium & the environmental impacts
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Transcript of Extraction of Uranium & the environmental impacts
EXTR
ACTION O
F URANIU
M
& THE
ENVIR
ONMENTA
L IM
PACTS
9
2
238.
03
HOW?
Uranium resources can be extracted from the ground in three ways:
1. Open pit
2. Underground
3. In-situ leaching (ISL)
OPEN PIT
• For shallow ore bodies
• Involves removal of overburden
• A lot of waste rock removed
• Greatest environmental impacts
(<400ft)
CASE STUDY
Jackpile Mine on Laguna Pueblo was once the largest!
≈ 7,868 acres
≈ 25 million tons extracted
UNDERGROUND
• For deeper ore bodies
• Involves access shafts and tunnels
• Less waste rock removed
• Less environmental impacts
GRADE CONTROL
How is it achieved?
• Measure radioactivity using a radiometric device
• Device detects decay products of uranium
IN-SITU LEACHING
• For ore bodies which lie in groundwater
• Groundwater circulated through underground aquifer
containing uranium
• Leaching solution dissolves uranium
• Dissolved uranium pumped out and recovered as a
precipitate
• Least environmental impacts