Olympic Dam Mine Research Paper

The growing demand for consumer goods, such as electricity, fuel for vehicles, plastics and petrochemical products, etc., threatens the biodiversity. It also threatens the ecosystems and effects the environmental health. Many Navajo people traveled to mines off the reservation seeking work and would often move their families with them in mine camps. The mineworkers, the only job that was available, were paid at an hourly wage was less than a dollar. The jobs included blasters, timber men, muckers, transporters, and millers. Other health hazards have emerged, in particular uranium mining. The hazards of uranium mining have caused serious respiratory disease and that other respiratory illnesses, including silicosis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and emphysema, were causing deaths in uranium mineworkers at rates approaching those from lung cancer.

I learned that mines were abandoned and in this case we have the responsible helping out. In other cases like the Gold King Mine in Colorado that it was used in the early 1900’s, the responsible that abandoned the mines were from Canada and are no were to be found. The problem with these mines is that when they extract all the uranium and there is no need for the mines, these mines need to be abandoned and closed. Unfortunately, there was no cleanup process when the mines were abandoned. Leaving the areas contaminated and the water from the rain transporting the contamination to other areas. 100 years ago, there was no standard on how to properly abandon a mine. Now days, the EPA and the state environmental departments are responsible to enforce the proper abandonment procedures and make sure the closure will not contaminate nearby areas or the water used for drinking, crops, and other human and animal uses. The runoff of the mine contamination can increase the total dissolve solids (TDS) in the nearby waters, making it non usable for human consumption and fish

Australia has a known estimated 1.66Mt (million tonnes) of uranium, and possibly more, which adds up to about 31% of the world’s uranium resources (as of 2011), (mining-technology.com, 2014). There are currently in Australia, three operating mines. These mines are: Ranger mine in Kakadu, Northern Territory, mining 1,113 tonnes of uranium oxide from 2013 – 2014. (World Nuclear Association, updated July 2015). Olympic Dam mine, South Australia, mining about 3,988 tonnes of uranium oxide from 2013 – 2014 (World Nuclear Association, updated July 2015). And lastly, Beverley mine, again in South Australia, and mining 188 tonnes of uranium oxide from 2013 – 2014 (World Nuclear Association, updated July

Whether or not uranium exposure can cause cancer is a popular question in the media. Many studies show that there is carcinogenic potential, but others have also shown that it is possible that it doesn’t cause cancer. There are two doses of uranium. One of them is chronic low dose. This dose means that it is below being able to detect adverse health effects. This dose can enter your body through drinking water [5]. Low level exposure to uranium for extended time can cause a “subclinical’ illness. This can increase the rates of carcinogenesis. Not very many diseases have been discovered from low dose exposure. The second dose of uranium, high dose exposure, is when uranium can cause a big effect on your body. This is not very common, and may

Copper mines in mexico, gold and diamonds mines in South Africa increased wealth in the countries. The globe demanded these raw good so Mexico profited with copper from their mines, as well as south africa with their gold and diamonds mining. It increases productivity in the countries. Gold became important in developing economies. The workers that mine was treated in a negative way. The conditions where the worked and mined were dangerous.

A gold mine that has been inactive for almost 100 years spilled 3 million gallons of toxic mining waste into the Animas River in Colorado after contractors using heavy equipment accidentally sent it flowing into the waterway. The spill has spread from Colorado into New Mexico and now into Utah affecting over 100 river

As of lately, alternative techniques have been becoming more popular. An example of this would be something called in-situ leach mining where leaching liquid (also referred to as solutions) are poured into deposits to dissolve the uranium. When mining uranium, you have a risk of getting lung cancer as you are basically inhaling uranium decay (Lenntech). When mining and/or milling, we release uranium. Tailings from those mines and/or mills can add more uranium in the environment which can be quite problematic (Institute for Energy and Environmental Research). For example, those tailings (which will mostly likely contain radioactive materials) can contaminate groundwater and has been proven to. Water samples that were nearby these tailing pipes were discovered to have so many materials or “contaminants” that it surpassed the government’s acceptable level for drinking water by hundreds (Institute for Energy and Environmental

This semester in ENGL 112, I chose to researcher the effects of uranium. I chose this topic because I learned about the element earlier in the year while sitting in Physics class. Uranium is a very interesting element that has been applied to many applications in today’s world. While in Physics, the class even had a debate on whether uranium has affected society for the better or for the worse. My side in the debate was that uranium has affected society for the worse. Uranium has created many bad problems for the world, and it could potentially create more problems. Uranium is a radioactive element that is the only metal on Earth that breaks down and creates new elements. Before the element was discovered, it affected humans while they were mining for stone. Some of the stone was even used to build schools and homes. The radiation then affected the families and children throughout their lives without them even knowing it.

As Uranium isn 't a renewable source of energy, it 'll eventually run out. We can 't prevent that, but we can still use it as it 's the most environmentally safe option. All forms of alternative energy have their own drawbacks, and considering this source 's drawback is it 's finite supply, it 's the least lacking source. At the very least, we should use it to it 's utmost potential while in the stages of establishing other alternative energy stations and

By the time it was officially dedicated on September 30, 1935, the colossal dam project on the Southern Nevada portion of the Colorado River had been called by several different names. In the exploratory stage, the project was referred to as the Boulder Canyon Project. Boulder Canyon was replaced by Black Canyon, when Black Canyon was discovered to be a more suitable spot to place the dam. Having started its

A major impact coal seam gas and lead mining has on Australia is that it destroys the environment and the land cannot be transformed back to its original form even if the mining company decides to rehabilitate. The mining land is damaged and bush land is cleared. The damaged land Attempts to re-seed the land damaged by coal mining is challenging because the mining process of fracking and floatation has thoroughly ruined the earth. For example, in Australia the success rate of replanting projects in place for rehabilitation is only 20-30. The Mining of Coal seam and the mineral also impact the society. Lots of health problems on mine workers and close residents occur when a lead or coal seam gas mine is being dug up or rehabilitated, lung

Uranium, named after the planet Uranus, is used more often than we think. It is one of the world’s most powerful element. Uranium is mainly as an energy source, but it can also be used in war. Thus meaning, this element can either help our future or ruin it.

According to (Depleted uranium : Sources, exposure and health effects, 2001), DU was not really a big until the military started using it in war. DU is known have less than half the radiation of natural uranium (p. iii). Studies show the inhalation of DU is the most dangerous type of exposure. Intake via food and water would be the next. It would be intersting to know that DU will not pass through skin and infect the body (p. iv). While DU has risks, it also acts as a safety curtain. DU acts as a radiation shield while dentists work with gamma radiation and during transportation of nuclear sources (p.

Air and soil samples were collected from southwest provinces of Iran and assessed for DU content. A total of 22 air samples and 20 soil samples were collected. Table 1 gives the cities where the samples were gathered and number of samples for both, air and soil. Table 2 gives the exact location (in coordinates) where the samples were obtained; name code for air and soil samples are also given. Gamma dose rate was also measured for each sample and are given in Table 2 as well. Alpha-beta and gamma spectrometers were used for measuring 235U and 238U activities. With 235U /238U ratio in samples in comparison to natural 235U /238U ratio in natural U, it would be possible to find out the probability of DU in all

Canada has the world‟s largest high grade uranium mine; the McArthur River mine. It is also the most productive mine and contributed around 15% of world production in 2008. This deposit has reserves of 168 000 tonnes of uranium at a grade of 21.2%. (InfoMine 2005),