Assessment of radiation dose around uranium mining complex, Jaduguda, India

Mining and ore processing activities are associated with changes in the surrounding environment and may pose a risk to human health, if adequate safety measures are not taken. The uranium ore generally varies worldwide between 0.03 – 3% U3O8, except for a few deposits where higher levels of uranium is reported. More than 95% of the ore is converted into waste material called “tailings”. Around 7 million tonnes per annum of uranium tailings are generated all over the world. They contain all the decay products of the uranium series radionuclides, acids/ bases and chemicals added during the ore processing. There are four operating uranium mines at present in India viz. Jaduguda, Bhatin, Narwapahar and Turamdih to cater to the need of the operating nuclear power plants. The uranium ore grade at these mines vary between 0.03 – 0.07% as U3O8. The ore from these mines is presently processed in the ore processing plant at Jaduguda. The tailings generated in the ore processing plant, after initial processing, are fractioned into coarse and fine particles. The coarse fraction is sent back to mine for refilling and fine slurry is transported and contained in the tailings pond (TP). At Jaduguda, around 1.5 x 10 tonnes per annum of tailings are disposed in the tailings pond. There are three tailings ponds at Jaduguda. The first and second ones are filled and the third one recently in use. The radium (Ra-226) content in the tailings pond varies between 0.5 – 8.5 Bq.g, with an average value of 4.5 Bq.g. There is always a probability that the radionuclides may contaminate the ground water and deliver radiation dose to members of the public residing around the uranium mining complex through water ingestion pathway. In the present study, an attempt has been made to appraise the radiation dose to the members of the public living around the uranium complex at Jaduguda considering all concerned radionuclides and all exposure pathways.