Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T14:11:11.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Radium balance in discharge waters from coal mines in Poland the ecological impact of underground water treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2009

J. Barescut ,
S. Chałupnik  and
M. Wysocka
S. Chałupnik*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Radiometry, Central Mining Institute 40-166 Katowice, Pl. Gwarkow 1, Poland
M. Wysocka
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Radiometry, Central Mining Institute 40-166 Katowice, Pl. Gwarkow 1, Poland
*
s.chalupnik.@gig.katowice.pl
Get access

Abstract

Saline waters from underground coal mines in Poland often contain natural radioactive isotopes, mainly 226Ra from the uranium decay series and 228Ra from the thorium series. More than 70% of the total amount of radium remains underground as radioactive deposits due to spontaneous co-precipitation or water treatment technologies, but several tens of MBq of 226Ra and even higher activity of 228Ra are released daily into the rivers along with the other mine effluents from all Polish coal mines. Mine waters can have a severe impact on the natural environment, mainly due to its salinity. Additionally high levels of radium concentration in river waters, bottom sediments and vegetation were also observed. Sometimes radium concentrations in rivers exceeded 0.7 kBq/m3, which was the permitted level for waste waters under Polish law. The investigations described here were carried out for all coal mines and on this basis the total radium balance in effluents has been calculated. Measurements in the vicinity of mine settling ponds and in rivers have given us an opportunity to study radium behaviour in river waters and to assess the degree of contamination. For removal of radium from saline waters a method of purification has been developed and implemented in full technical scale in two of Polish coal mines. The purification station in Piast Colliery was unique, the first underground installation for the removal of radium isotopes from saline waters. Very good results have been achieved – approximately 6 m3/min of radium-bearing waters were treated there, more than 100 MBq of 226Ra and 228Ra remained underground each day. Purification has been started in 1999, therefore a lot of experiences have been gathered during this period. Since year 2006, a new purification station is working in another colliery, Ziemowit, at the level – 650 meters. Barium chloride is used as a cleaning agent, and amount of water to be purified is reaching 9 m3/min. Technical measures such as inducing the precipitation of radium in gobs, decreasing the amount of meteoric inflow water into underground workings etc., have been undertaken in several coal mines, and as a result of these measures the total amount of radium released to the surface waters is much has diminished significantly during the last 15 years.

Type
Research Article
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 44 , Issue 5: ECORAD 2008 - Radioecology and Environmental Radioactivity , 2009 , pp. 813 - 820
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Zgadzaj J., Skubacz K. and Chałupnik S., The influence of radon and it's progeny emitted from the exhaust shafts of coal mines on the contamination of the outdoor air. International Conference “Technologically enhanced natural radiation caused by non-uranium mining”, Katowice, Główny Instytut Górnictwa 1996.
Lebecka J., i inni, Monitoring of Radiation Exposure from Different Natural Sources in Polish Coal Mines. International Conference on Occupational Safety in Mining, Vol. 2, Toronto, Canadian Nuclear Association 1985.
Skubacz K., Lebecka J., Chałupnik S. and Wysocka M., Possible changes in radiation background of the natural environment caused by coal mines activity. International Symposium on Nuclear Techniques in Exploration and Exploitation of Energy and Mineral Resources, IAEA-SM-308, Vienna, IAEA 1990.
Koster H.W., Marwitz P.A., Berger G.W., van Weers A.W. and Hagel P., 210Po, 210Pb, 226Ra in Aquatic Ecosystems and Polders, Anthropogenic Sources, Distribution and Enhanced Radiation Doses in the Netherlands. The Natural Radiation Environment, Nuclear Technology Publishing, Vol. 45, No. 1–4, 1992.
Khademi A., Alemi A. and Nasseri A., Transfer of radium of soil to plants in an area of high natural radioactivity in Ramsar, Iran. Conference on Natural Radiation Environment III, US DOE Report CONF-780422, Bethseda, Maryland, 1980.
Rajaretnam G. and Spitz, H.B., Effect of Leachability on Environmental Risk Assessment for Naturally Occurring Radioactivity Materials in Petroleum Oil Fields. Health Physics, Vol. 78 (2), 2000.
Peic T., i inni, Formation waters from oil and natural gas production: potential polluting source by Radium-226. International Symposium on the Natural Radiation Environment (NRE-VI), w: Environment International, Vol. 22, supl. 1, Pergamon Press 1996.
Gucało L.K., Characteristics of radium distribution in underground waters of Dnieprowsko-Donieckoj Basin. Gieochimja, vol. 12, 1964.
Dickson B.L., Evaluation of the Radioactive Anomalies Using Radium Isotopes in Groundwaters. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, Vol. 19, 1966.
Gans I., i inni, Radium in waste water from coal mines and other sources in FRG. Second Symposium on Natural Radiation Environment, Bombay, India, Bethseda, DOE Symposium Series 1981.
Paschoa A.S. and Nobrega A.W., Non-nuclear mining with radiological implications in Araxa. International Conference On Radiation Hazards in Mining, Golden, Colorado, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers Inc., 1981.
Rogoż M. and Posyłek E., Górnicze i geologiczne metody ograniczania zrzutów słonych wód z kopalń węgla kamiennego (Geological and technical methods of brines release limitation from coal mines). “Kierunki zagospodarowania zasolonych wód z kopalń węgla kamiennego”, Główny Instytut Górnictwa, Katowice 1991 (in Polish).
Lebecka J., i inni, Influence of Mining Activity on Distribution of Radium in the Natural Environment. 4th Working Meeting Isotopes in Nature, Leipzig, Academy of Sciences of the GDR 1987.
Lebecka J., Skubacz K., Chałupnik S. and Wysocka M., Skażenia promieniotwórcze środowiska naturalnego na Górnym Śląku powodowane przez wody kopalniane i promieniotwórcze osady (Radioactive pollution of the natural environment in Upper Silesia, caused by mine waters and sediments).- Wiadomości Górnicze, no. 6, Katowice 1991 (in Polish).
Lebecka J., Chałupnik S. and Wysocka M., Radioactivity of Mine Waters in Upper Silesian Coal Basin, and its Influence on Natural Environment. 5th International Mine Water Congress, Nottingham, International Mine Water Association 1994.
Lebecka J., Chałupnik S. and Śliwka M., Wyniki badań zachowania się radu podczas transportu słonych wód rurociągami (na przykładzie kolektora wód słonych OLZA). (Results of investigations of radium behaviour in pipelines on example of OLZA pipeline) Wiadomości Górnicze 5/92, Katowice 1992 (in Polish).
Tomza I. and Lebecka J., Radium-bearing waters in coal mines: occurrence, methods of measurements and radiation hazard. International Conference On Radiation Hazards in Mining, Golden, Colorado, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers Inc., 1981.
Ministerstwo Górnictwa i Energetyki, Wytyczne kontroli skażeń promieniotwórczych środowiska naturalnego powodowanych przez kopalnie węgla kamiennego (Guidelines for the monitoring of radioactive contamination of the natural environment, caused by coal mines – Ministry of Mining and Energy). MGiE Katowice 1986 (in Polish).
Chałupnik S. and Wysocka M., Removal of radium from mine waters – the experience from the coal mine. 7th International Mine Water Association Congress, 2000, ed. Silesian University.