• Mineral and Industry
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.56-66
• /
• 2008

이 동향자료는 Geoscience Australia에서 2001년 발간한 "Geoscience Australia Mineral Resources Report No.1"과 역시 동 기관에서 2007년 발행한 "Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2007" 중 일부 내용을 발췌하여 정리 한 것으로서 요약하면 다음과 같다. OECD/NEA와 IAEA(2000)는 세계적으로 분포하는 우라늄 광상유형을 지질학적인 형성환경에 따라 15개 유형으로 분류하였으며 호주에서는 각력복합형, 부정합형, 사암형, 지표형, 변성교대형, 변성형, 화산형, 관입형 및 맥상형이 보고되어 있다. 유형별 자원량은 각력복합형, 부정합형 및 사암형 3개 유형 광상이 약 93%를 차지하며, 각력복합형광상의 자원량이 63%에 달한다. 현재 개발되는 광상은 각력복합형의 올림픽댐 광산, 부정합형인 레인저 광산 및 사암형인 베벌리 광산이다. 호주는 세계 총 우라늄 자원량의 27%를 보유하고 있어 세계 1위를 차지한다. 올림픽댐광상이 항내채광을 하는 우라늄 광산으로서는 세계에서 가장 큰 광상으로서 US$80 이하에서 회수가능한 RAR(적정확정자원량)이 476,000톤이다. 이 자원량은 세계 총 자원량의 18%를 차지하며, 단일 광산으로서는 세계최대규모이다. 2006년 호주의 우라늄 총생산량은 $U_3O_8$ 8,943톤(7,584톤 U)이며 이는 세 광산에서 생산된 양으로서 캐나다에 이어 두 번째로 많은 양(세계 생산량의 19%)이다. 2006년 우라늄 수출량은 $U_3O_8$ 8,660톤(7,344톤 U)이며 수출가는 호주달러 5억2천9백만불에 달한다. 호주는 우라늄 수출국들과 "원자력협력협약"을 맺어 평화적 목적을 위해서만 공급한다는 단서를 달고 있으며 IAEA에 의해 관리/감독되고 있다. 최근 호주 정부는 지구과학연구소에 많은 예산을 투여하여 육상에너지안전대책을 발의하여 자원개발에 요구되는 탐사자료 확보에 주력하고 있다.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.593-603
• /
• 2018

The most of groundwater with high U-concentration occur in the Jurassic granite of Gyeonggi massif and Ogcheon belt, and some of them occur in the Cretaceous granite of Ogcheon belt. On the contrary, they do not occur in the Jurassic granite of Yeongnam massif and the Cretaceou granite of Gyeongsang basin. The Jurassic and Cretacous granite, the host rock of high U-groundwater, were resulted from parental magma with high ratio of crustal material and highly differentiated product of fractional crystalization. These petrogenetic characteristics explain the geological evidence for preferential distribution of uraniferous groundwater in each host rock. It were reported recently that high U-content, low Th/U ratio and soluble mineral occurrence of uraninite in the two-mica granite of Daejeon area which have characteristics of S-type peraluminous and highly differntiated product. It is the mineralogical-geochemical evidences supporting the fact that the two-mica granite is the effective source of uranium in groundwater. The biotite granite and two-mica granite of Jurassic age were reported as biotite granite in many geological map even though two-mica granite occur locally. This fact suggest that the influence of two-mica granite can not be ignored in uraniferous groundwater hosted by biotite granite.

• Mineral and Industry
• /
• v.25
• /
• pp.19-28
• /
• 2012

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.113-122
• /
• 2007

In this study, uranium migration experiments have been performed using a natural groundwater and a granite core with natural fractures in a glove-box constructed to simulate an appropriate subsurface environment. Groundwater flow experiments using the non-sorbing anionic tracer Br were carried out to analyze the flow properties of groundwater through the fracture of the granite core. The result of the uranium migration experiment showed a breakthrough curve similar to that of the non-sorting Br. This result may imply that uranium migrates as anionic complexes through the rock fracture since uranium can form carbonate complexes at a given groundwater condition. The distribution coefficient $K_d$ of the uranium between the groundwater and the fracture filling material was obtained as low as 2.7 mL/g from a batch sorption experiment. This result agrees well with the result from the migration experiment, showing a faster elution of the uranium through the rock fracture. In order to analyze retardation properties of the uranium through the rock fracture, the retardation factor $R_d({\sim}16.2)$ was obtained by using the $K_d$ obtained from the batch sorption experiment and it was compared with the $R_d({\sim}14.3)$ obtained by using the result from the uranium migration experiment. The values obtained from the both experiments were very similar to each other. This reveals that the retardation of the uranium is mainly occurred by the fracture filling material when the uranium migrates through the fracture of a granite core.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.289-302
• /
• 2023

The study area was Gangnim-myeon, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon-do, composed of the Chiaksan gneiss complex, and it was revealed that the concentrations of uranium (U) and thorium (Th) within the groundwater of the study area exceeded their water quality standards. Hence, artificial weathering experiments were conducted to elucidate mineralogically the mechanisms of their leaching using drilling cores obtained from the corresponding groundwater aquifers. First of all, the mineralogical compositions of core samples were observed, and the results indicated that the content of clinochlore, a member of the chlorite group of minerals that can form through low- and intermediate-temperature metamorphisms, was relatively higher. In addition, the Th concentration was measured ten times higher than that of U. The results of artificial weathering experiments suggested that the Th concentrations gradually increased through the dissolution of radioactive-element-bearing minerals up to the first day, and then they tended to decrease. It could be attributed to the fact that Th was leached with the dissolution of thorite, which might be a secondary mineral, and then dissolved Th was re-precipitated as the various forms of salt, such as sulfate. Even though the U content was lower than that of Th in the core samples, the U concentration was one hundred times higher than that of Th after the weathering experiments. It is likely caused by the gradual dissolution and desorption of U included in intensively weathered thorite or adsorbed as a form of UO₂²⁺ on the mineral surface. In addition, the leaching tendency of U and Th was positively correlated with the bicarbonate concentration. However, the concentrations between U and Th in groundwater exhibited a relatively lower correlation, which might result from the fact that they occurred from different sources, as aforementioned. Among various kinetic models, the parabolic diffusion and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were confirmed to best fit the dissolution kinetics of both elements. The period that would be taken for the U concentration to exceed its drinking-water standard was inferred using the regressed parameters of the best-fitted models, and the duration of 29.4 years was predicted in the neutral-pH aquifers with relatively higher concentrations of HCO₃, indicating that U could be relatively quickly leached out into groundwater.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.83-90
• /
• 2011

Removal of dissolved uranium by D. baculatum, a sulfate-reducing bacterium, and effects of trace metals such as manganese, copper, nickel, and cobalt were investigated. Total concentrations of dissolved uranium and trace metals were used by $50\;{\mu}M$ and $200\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Most dissolved uranium decreased up to a non-detectable level (< 10 ppb) MS during the experiments. Most of the heavy metals did nearly not affect the bioremoval rates and amounts of uranium, but copper restrained microbial activity. However, it is found that dissolved uranium rapidly decreased after 2 weeks, showing that the bacteria can overcome the copper toxicity and remove the uranium. It is observed that nickel and cobalt were readily coprecipitated with biogenic mackinawite.

• Proceedings of the Mineralogical Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2005.05a
• /
• pp.138-143
• /
• 2005

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 1985

To understand the characteristics of uranium distribution, and the correlation of the uranium content and major constituents in uraniferous black slates from the Jinsan area of Ogcheon Fold Terrain, forty representative specimens were analyzed by mineralogical and radiometric techniques. According to statistical analysis, the uranium has a positive correlation with organic carbon and limonite, but a negative relation to muscovite and other opaques. The relationship with the highest and meaningful correlation is between log uranium and organic carbon. The log uranium-organic carbon correlation coefficient is 0.845 and these two constituents have about 71.4% association. It suggests that the abundance of organic carbon controlled the uranium precipitation. The relationship of organic carbon to log uranium can be expressed by following regression equation log ($U_3O_8{\times}10^4+1$)=-1.3447+2.5599 log (organic carbon). The multiple regression equation of different major components to log uranium is log ($U_3O_8{\times}10^4+1$)=0.77396+ 0.04465 (organic carbon)+0.00574 (quartz)-0.00964 (muscovite)+0.37827 (biotite)-0.02286 (clay substance)+0.01268 (other silicates)+0.1032 (barite)-0.00224 (apatite)+0.01606 (calcite)+0.08258 (hematite)-0.02406 (limonite)-0.01715 (other opaques).

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.535-550
• /
• 2014

The origins and varieties of natural radioactive materials, including uranium and radon-222, were examined in a drilled borehole extending to a depth of 120 m below the surface in the Goesan area. In addition to core samples, eight groundwater samples were collected at different depths, using a double packer system and bailer, and their geochemical characteristics were determined. Most of the rock samples from the drilled core consisted of granite porphyry, with sedimentary rocks (slate, carbonate, or lime-silicates) and pegmatite occurring in certain sections. The pH of samples varied from 7.8 to 8.4, and the groundwater was of a Na-$HCO_3$type. Uranium and thorium concentrations in the core were < 0.2-14.8 ppm and 0.56-45.0 ppm, respectively. Observations by microscope and an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) showed that the mineral containing the natural radioactive materials was monazite contained in biotite crystals. The uranium, which substituted for major elements in the monazite, appeared to have dissolved and been released into the groundwater in a shear zone. Concentrations of Radon-222 in the borehole showed no close relationship with levels of uranium. The isotopes of noble gases, such as helium and neon, would be useful for analyzing the origins and characteristics of the natural radioactive materials.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.235-242
• /
• 2014

Uranium can be released into the water environment from natural sources and human activities. The natural source of uranium is dominant in the Korean soil and groundwater environments. Uranium has both of radioactive and chemical toxic properties. Therefore, a drinking water contaminated with uranium has a high health risk. This study was conducted to determine the uranium concentration of water systems including small village drinking water system, groundwater for drinking water purpose, spring water, groundwater monitoring well, and emergency water suppling system. The uranium concentration was compared with domestic and other countries' standard. The contamination level was also evaluated on the basis of geological characteristics of the area. Among total 803 samples, 6 exceeded the Korean standard, $30{\mu}g/{\ell}$ and this was about 0.7% of the total sample. On the basis of geology, uranium concentration appeared to be increased in order of biotite granodiorite > biotite granite > gneissoid granite. The highest level of uranium was 12.4 in average.