RADIATION PROTECTION ›› 2023, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (2): 97-113.

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Mechanisms and factors affecting radon exhalation from surface of uranium mill tailing pond with compacted soil cover: An overview

LIANG Kaiqi1, HONG Changshou1,2,3, CHEN Zhibin4, ZHAO Tianji1, WANG Hong1,2,3, LI Xiangyang1,2,3, LIU Yong1,2,3   

  1. 1. School of Resources, Environmental and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hunan Hengyang 421001;
    2. Hunan Province Engineering Technology Research Centre of Uranium Tailing Treatment Technology, Hunan Hengyang 421001;
    3. Hunan Province Engineering Research Centre of Radioactive Control Technology in Uranium Mining and Metallurgy, Hunan Hengyang 421001;
    4. Hefei Institute of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Hefei 230031
  • Received:2022-03-25 Online:2023-03-20 Published:2023-05-11

Abstract: Radon generates from porous emanation media such as soil, uranium mill tailing and rock. The sediment surface of uranium mill tailing accumulation is always in direct contact to atmospheric environment. Radon transports from soil to air and distributes homogeneously in the surroundings while alternative cover is designed to satisfy the management control of uranium mill tailing. This paper presents a literature review of radon migration process and its influence factors in uranium mill tailing, which illustrates the mechanism of the emanation characteristics of porous media and meteorological conditions on radon exhalation from uranium mill tailing. A lot of such studies have been carried out by scholars at home and abroad, but due to different experimental scale and research methods, the interpretation of the influence of mineral grain characteristics on radon exhalation mechanism is still controversial, and the influence mechanism of external meteorological environment and other factors on radon exhalation on the surface of uranium mill tailing pond is still unclear. Therefore, further work is proposed: (1) the characterization of radon exhalation process under natural conditions; (2) large-scale experiment is to be carried out for the influence mechanism of porous emanation media on radon exhalation from uranium mill tailing.

Key words: uranium mill tailing pond, soil-covering method, porous emanation media, radon exhalation

CLC Number: 

  • TL75+2