Radioactive gold ore mining: Health and environment impacts

In mining of the Lunnoe deposit in the Elkon geological province in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), processing of gold–brannerite ore uses the method of heap leaching. The current postleach radioactive ore stock piles accumulated on ground surface for ten years are the permanent uncontrolled source of environmental pollution. Development of this deposit is yet unfinished, and, accordingly, new radioactive ore stock piles appear, and high radiation hazard is still imposed on the environment and on the health of the production personnel. The data of radioecology monitoring in the area of the Lunnoe deposit are discussed. It is found that natural radionuclides migrate to adjacent areas from hazardous sources by water and air. The jumps in the contents of radon and uranium in groundwater are connected with the contact of groundwater with barren rock and with ore with high concentration of uranium, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, with the inflow of radioactive effluents from ore stock piles. It is required to perform continuous radiation background control in the course of ore mining, pretreatment and processing. From the analysis of radiation situation in the test area, it is proposed to place the open radioactive sources (ore stock piles) in the empty mined-out open pits and to bury them under weakly radioactive overburden rocks.The study was supported by the State Program on Ecological Safety and Efficient Nature and Forestry Management in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for 2018–2022 and by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Project No. 0297-2021-0027, EGISU NIOKTR No. AAAA-A21-121012190033-5.