Integrated methodology for the environmental risk assessment of an abandoned uranium mining site

• Type: Chapter or Part of a Book
• Date: 2008

Authors

António Fiúza (Author) FEUP; Maria de Lurdes Dinis (Author) FEUP

Book

Title: Uranium, Mining and Hydrogeology

Pages: 163-176

ISBN: 978-3-540-87746-2

Publisher: Springer

Indexing

Scopus

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Environmental engineering

CORDIS: Natural sciences > Environmental science > Ecology > Environmental risks

Other information

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-87746-2_23

Abstract (EN): We developed an integrated approach to evaluate quantitatively the fundamental data required to perform a risk assessment induced by the existence of uranium mine tailings disposals or any other form of low activity waste storage. From the characteristics of the radioactive sources the different types of possible releases are evaluated using phenomenological models. The concentrations in the main environmental compartments are deduced. To this data we apply models of environmental transport, dispersion and fate within each environmental compartment, as well as models of inter-compartment transfer. The activity is then predicted at predefined exposition locations, in each environment compartment. Models of transfer to the food chain were also developed allowing to estimate concentration of different radioisotopes in all the media. This data, complemented with an exposure scenario, allows a quantitative environmental risk assessment.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13