Uranium tailings

Uranium mill tailings are primarily the sandy process waste material from a conventional uranium mill. Milling is the first step in making fuel for nuclear reactors from natural uranium ore. The uranium extract is transformed into yellowcake. The raw uranium ore is brought to the surface and crushed into a fine sand. The valuable uranium-bearing minerals are then removed via heap leaching with the use of acids or bases, and the remaining radioactive sludge, called "uranium tailings", is stored in huge impoundments. A short ton (907 kg) of ore yields one to five pounds (0.45 to 2.3 kg) of uranium depending on the uranium content of the mineral. Uranium tailings can retain up to 85% of the ore's original radioactivity. == Composition ==

The tailings contain mainly decay products from the decay chain involving Uranium-238. Uranium tailings contain over a dozen radioactive nuclides, which are the primary hazard posed by the tailings. The most important of these are thorium-230, radium-226, radon-222 (radon gas) and the daughter isotopes of radon decay, including polonium-210. All of those are naturally occurring radioactive materials or "NORM". == Health risks ==

Tailings contain heavy metals and radioactive radium. Radium then decays over thousands of years and radioactive radon gas is produced. Tailings are kept in piles for long-term storage or disposal and need to be maintained and monitored for leaks over the long term. ==See also==