U and Th in some brown coals of Serbia and Montenegro and their environmental impact

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: The objective of this paper is to determine and compare the concentrations of U and Th in soft to hard brown (lignite to sub-bituminous) coals of Serbia and Montenegro. It also presents comparison of the obtained data on U and Th concentrations with the published data on coals located in some other countries of the world. Almost the whole coal production of Serbia and Montenegro is used as feed coals for combustion in thermal power plants. METHODS: Channel samples from open pit and underground mines and core samples were collected for hard and soft brown coals. For the analysis the samples were decomposed using microwave technique. Obtained solutions containing U and Th were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) using NIST standards. RESULTS: Concentration of U from the investigated basins and the corresponding mine fields ranges within 0.60-70.10 mg/kg, 0.65-3.20 mg/kg, 0.95-6.59 mg/kg, 1.20-6.05 mg/kg, 0.80-6.66 mg/kg, 0.18-89.90 mg/kg, 0.19-4.14 mg/kg, and 0.28-3.52 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. Concentration of Th ranges within 0.20-2.60 mg/kg, 0.84-6.57 mg/kg, 1.48-6.48 mg/kg, 0.12-2.71 mg/kg, 0.13-4.95 mg/kg, 0.14-3.48 mg/kg, 0.29-3.56 mg/kg, and 0.17-1.89 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. DISCUSSION: Brown coal from Senje-Resavica, Kolubara, Kostolac and Pljevlja is characterized by low U concentration. Coals form the Krepoljin, Soko Banja and Sjenica basins have slightly higher U concentrations than the mentioned group. The highest concentration of U is characteristic for the coal from the Bogovina East field. Concentration of Th in coals from Serbia and Montenegro has proved to be low. Out of all investigated coal basins, only the coal from the Krepoljin and Kolubara basins has high concentration of Th. The hydrothermally altered rocks of the Timok dacite-andesite complex, representing the basement of the Bogovina basin, could be a potential source of U, especially at the bottom part of the Lower seam of the Bogovina East field. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that brown coals in Serbia and Montenegro (soft to hard brown coals or lignite to sub-bituminous) contain low levels of U (5.30 mg/kg, average value and 2.10 mg/kg geometric mean value) and Th (1.80 mg/kg, average value and 1.12 mg/kg geometric mean value). There are some obvious differences in concentration of U and Th in coals from different basins in Serbia and Montenegro. The approximate value for U and Th release mainly from power plants was 644.33 t and 983.46 t, respectively within the period 1965-2000 for the studied mines in Serbia, and 23.76 t and 15.05 t for the Potrlica mine (Montenegro) within the period 1965-1997. RECOMMENDATIONS: The coals in Serbia and Montenegro show no identifiable unfavourable impact on the surrounding environment, due to low natural radioactive concentration of U and Th, but further investigations concerning human health should be performed. PERSPECTIVES: Preliminary research revealed that in some Serbian coals (and, particularly, parts of the coal seam) U and Th content are rather high. Such coals should be carefully studied, as well as U and Th concentrations in ash, fly ash, waste disposals, nearby soil and ground water. Further studies should include determination of the radioactivity of all these products, and estimation of possible health impact.     

湖南未耕种土壤中~(234、238)U、~(226)Ra、~(210)Po和~(210)Pb的分布和移动规律的研究

本文采集了湖南省十三个地区未耕种的０８０ｃｍ不同类型土壤样品，分别测定了０１０ｃｍ、２０３０ｃｍ、４０５０ｃｍ、７０８０ｃｍ样品中的２３４、２３８Ｕ、２２６Ｒａ、２１０Ｐｂ、２１０Ｐｏ含量，研究了土壤中铀系放射性核素分布影响和移动规律     

矿井水中天然总α放射性的混凝处理技术研究

本文研究了混凝沉淀工艺处理矿井水中天然总α放射性核素铀、镭的技术和条件,通过选择适当的混凝剂、加药量、pH值等条件可将铀的去除率提高到80％左右,使用铀专用混凝剂MHU则可使铀的去除率达到87％。对于镭的去除不能单纯依靠铀混凝剂MHU,尚需添加镭的吸附助剂MHR,则可使镭的去除率提高到80％以上。该工艺的最大优点在于充分利用了煤矿现存的大量矿井水悬浮物处理设施,大大节省了新建工程的投资费用,而且新增加的药剂费用不足0.1元/t水,可在煤矿推广应用。     

抽水蓄能电站建设中注意防止氡污染

针对某抽水蓄能电站地下勘探平洞检测氡气浓度超标问题,分析氡污染危害,提出防止氡污染的措施。     

放射性废物桶内干燥整备研究进展

桶内干燥具有很高的减容比,已经逐渐被国外核电站用来处理放射性废液,为我国核电废物贮存和处理提供了一条新的途径。详细介绍了电加热、热风加热和微波加热3种桶内干燥装置的研究应用实例,主要内容包括干燥装置的过程控制、干燥产量(蒸发速率和进料速率)、干燥产物的含水率和减容比。通过分析对比得出,电加热和热空气加热型装置投入产出高,但仅适合流动和传热好的废物整备;微波加热型装置前期投入大,适用却更广,尤其适合底泥等一类含有有机物质的废物。     

Measurement of gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations in human tooth

The gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations were measured in human tooth taken from 3 to 6 age-groups to 40 and over ones. Accumulated teeth samples are investigated in two groups as under and above 18 years. The gross alpha and beta radioactivity of human tooth samples was measured by using a gas-flow proportional counter (PIC-MPC 9604-α/β counter). In tooth samples, for female age-groups, the obtained results show that the mean gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations varied between 0.534-0.203 and 0.010-0.453 Bq g⁻¹ and the same concentrations for male age-groups varied between 0.009-1.168 and 0.071-0.204 Bq g⁻¹, respectively.     

Use of Natural 35S to Trace Sulphate Cycling in Small Lakes,Flattops Wilderness Area,Colorado, U.S.A.

Measurements of the cosmogenically-produced ³⁵S, a radioisotope of sulphur (t_1/2 = 87 days), are reported for the Ned Wilson Lake watershed in Colorado. The watershed contains two small lakes and a flowing spring presumed to be representative of local ground water. The watershed is located in the Flattops Wilderness Area and the waters in the system have low alkalinity, making them sensitive to increases in acid and sulphate deposition. Time series of ³⁵S measurements were made during the summers of 1995 and 1996 (July–September) at all three sites. The system is dominated by melting snow and an initial concentration of 16–20 mBq L^-1 was estimated for snowmelt based on a series of snow samples collected in the Rocky Mountains. The two lakes had large initial ³⁵S concentrations in July, indicating that a large fraction of the lake water and sulphate was introduced by meltwater from that year's snowpack. In 1995 and 1996, ³⁵S concentrations decreased more rapidly than could be accounted for by decay, indicating that other processes were affecting ³⁵S concentrations. The most likely explanation is that exchange with sediments or the biota was removing ³⁵S from the lake and replacing it with older sulphate devoid of ³⁵S. In September of 1995 and 1996, ³⁵S concentrations increased, suggesting that atmospheric deposition is important in the sulphate flux of these lakes in late summer. Sulphur-35 concentrations in the spring water were highly variable but never higher than 3.6 mBq L^-1 and averaged 2 mBq L^-1. Using a simple mixing model, it was estimated that 75% of the spring water was derived from precipitation of previous years.     

核电燃料元件厂环境辐射监测与评价

本文对 1994～ 1998年核电燃料元件生产所排放的放射性流出物及环境辐射进行了监测分析。结果表明 ,在正常生产运行情况下 ,放射性流出物对周围公众造成的年最大个人有效剂量当量是 7 2 6× 10 -2 mSv ,远低于公众剂量限值。评价半径为80km范围内的集体有效剂量当量为 4 70× 10 -2 人·Sv/a。     

Application of a “closed-can” technique for measuring radon exhalation from mine samples of Punjab, Pakistan

Using the closed-can technique, radon exhalation rate measurements have been carried out for shale and coal samples collected from various mines located in the Chakwal and Makarwal areas of Pakistan. For the two areas, the measured average values of the exhalation rates from shale are 1.45±0.13 and 0.67±0.25 Bq m⁻² h⁻¹ and for coal are 1.0±0.03 and 0.65±0.32 Bq m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. These values are much lower than the measured exhalation rates from alum-shale-based Nordic concrete which has values in the 50–200 Bq m⁻² h⁻¹ range. The lower values of the measured exhalation rates from the shale and coal deposits in the Chakwal and Makarwal areas are indicative of their lower uranium contents and mine workers in these areas do not face any abnormal health hazard due to radon since the exhalation rates have been found to be on the low side.     

A method for determining the analytical form of a radionuclide depth distribution using multiple gamma spectrometry measurements

When characterizing environmental radioactivity, whether in the soil or within concrete building structures undergoing remediation or decommissioning, it is highly desirable to know the radionuclide depth distribution. This is typically modeled using continuous analytical expressions, whose forms are believed to best represent the true source distributions. In situ gamma ray spectroscopic measurements are combined with these models to fully describe the source. Currently, the choice of analytical expressions is based upon prior experimental core sampling results at similar locations, any known site history, or radionuclide transport models. This paper presents a method, employing multiple in situ measurements at a single site, for determining the analytical form that best represents the true depth distribution present. The measurements can be made using a variety of geometries, each of which has a different sensitivity variation with source spatial distribution. Using non-linear least squares numerical optimization methods, the results can be fit to a collection of analytical models and the parameters of each model determined. The analytical expression that results in the fit with the lowest residual is selected as the most accurate representation. A cursory examination is made of the effects of measurement errors on the method.