Effects of the hydrogeological system on human health in uranium mining areas.
Abstract
Uranium mining and milling facilities have the potential to affect groundwater quality and quantity, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. These impacts depend on site-specific conditions, and their identification is not straightforward. In uranium mining areas, it remains an ongoing challenge to distinguish the effects of mining activities from previous existing groundwater conditions and naturally occurring radionuclides concentrations. The identification of the impact sources, whether geogenic or anthropogenic, is essential to define the radiological protection criteria and approach to be adopted (planned or existing exposure situations). The only operational uranium production center in Brazil is located in a semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil where several uranium anomalies have been mapped. The local community, as well as the mine operator, are highly dependent on the availability of groundwater resources, which needs to be managed sustainably. Since the beginning of operations in 2000, the local community has shown concerns about health and environmental risks and impacts associated with mining activities. This area was used as a case study, in a national project supported by the IAEA which applied the concept of sustainability and best practices to improve the understanding of the hydrogeological system effects on human health. The results suggest that the aquifers found in the study area are vulnerable to contamination and the groundwater system has a fast turnover. Nitrate is the only potentially high priority contaminant of concern in a non-conservative approach to human health risk assessment. However, no significant radiological impact was observed, and all estimated effective doses due to groundwater ingestion are below the 1 mSv/year level.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMGH33B1240F
- Keywords:
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- 0230 Impacts of climate change: human health;
- GEOHEALTHDE: 0231 Impacts of climate change: agricultural health;
- GEOHEALTHDE: 0240 Public health;
- GEOHEALTHDE: 0245 Vector born diseases;
- GEOHEALTH