Some aspects of environmental hazard due to uranium mining in Ukraine

Abstract


 
 
 Some aspects of environmental hazard within uranium mining areas are considered. The uranium content in the environment components (rocks, soils, underground and surface waters) of the central part of the Ukrainian Shield within and beyond the uranium mining area is analyzed on the example of the Michurinske ore field. It is emphasized that man-made sources of natural origin should be considered more broadly than just waste dumps from uranium mining and processing enterprises. These are sources of ionizing radiation of natural origin, which have been subjected to concentration or their accessibility has been increased because of anthropogenic activity. Additional irradiation to the natural radiation background is formed. Waste dumps of uranium mining are considered as sources of potential dust pollution in the surface layers of atmosphere with fine dust containing uranium, its decay products and associated elements. The area of waste dumps is calculated using space images. Uranium accumulates in the dusty fraction, where its content is 0.01-0.06%. Taking into account the geological and geochemical characteristics of uranium deposits, radioactive elements, heavy metals and other associated elements of uranium mineralization are car- ried out of the dumps by winds and atmospheric waters with their subsequent migration into environment components. A mathematical model of potential dust air pollution in the area of long-term operation of the oldest uranium mine is presented for the summer 2019. In total, 15 factors influencing the potential threat of air dust pollution are considered and analyzed. The mathematical model is developed on the basis of the method of discriminant functions. To assess the degree of the model parameters informativeness, one-factor covariance analysis is used. It allows assessing the degree of a single sign influence on the prediction result. The developed model takes into account the area of waste dumps, uranium content in the dust fraction and wind direction southeast and/or east as the most hazardous for the study area. The model allows determining correctly the level of potential threat of air dust pollution in 96.3% ± 3.6% of all cases.
 
 

Method of diagnosing some diseases of the neuro-muscular system and features of data processing in software

“…The physiological basis of this method is that at constant amplitude of stimulation, the muscle is relatively insensitive to very short pulses, while the nerve is quite sensitive to them [4][5][6]. Since normally the nerve is gene rally more sensitive to current than the muscle, when stimulated with threshold and nearthreshold pulses in the motor point of the muscle, its contraction is a consequence of transsynaptic excitation coming from the nerve terminals irritated by the current [7,8]. Thus, the parameters of strength and duration of pulses, determined by threshold contractions, normally refer to the nerve, and in case of complete denervation due to degeneration of the nerve, these parameters also refer to the muscle.…”

“…Having found the movement point in the muscle, the rheobase is determined. Rheobase is the smallest current strength for «infinite» pulse duration, which causes minimal muscle contraction [8,9]. In the practical determination of rheobase, a current pulse lasting 300 ms is used.…”

“…Since the diagnosis is made on the basis of a combination of qualitative concepts of the «moreless norm» type, it is important to be able to correctly convert quantitative values into qualitative ones. This or the opposite task occurs everywhere during the processing of medical and biological information and is solved in different ways [7][8][9]. Conversion errors can lead not only to an error in making a diagnosis, but also to the impossibility of making it.…”

Uranium Mining and Milling Sites as Sources of Technologically-Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials

“…The ores are characterized by titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) (twice as much as in the Michurinske deposit) and zirconium oxide ZrO 2 (almost twice as much). The content of neodymium in the ore exceeds its content in the ore of the Michurinske deposit [17,18].…”

Study on the Ecotoxic Effects of Uranium and Heavy Metal Elements in Soils of a Uranium Mining Area in Northern Guangdong

“…Uranium, which is radioactive and chemically toxic, is one of the most critical pollutants from uranium mining. It is also accompanied by heavy metal pollution, such as Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn and Zn, which are often reflected in the soil, sediment and water medium [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Heavy metal pollution around uranium mines has become a hot spot of concern because heavy metals are difficult to degrade, accumulate and easily migrate to the human body through skin, breath and diet [ 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”