Uranium
The page on uranium mining and its impacts has been moved to Uranium Mining.
Uranium-238
Natural decay chain of uranium-238
Uranium-238 is not only radiating itself but also produced a series of radioactive daughter elements which all are existing in the ore. The main problems for the surroundings of the ore are radium and radon, because radium binds easily to soluble substances and will be washed out by rain and goes to ground water. Radon is gaseous und leaves the mineral at open surfaces and is in the air to be inhaled. Its half-life is only short, 3.8 days, but it is continuously produced again by radium.[1]
Nuclide | Half-life | Radiation | Relative activity |
---|---|---|---|
Uranium 238 | 4,5 x 109 y | α γ | 100 |
Th 234 | 24 d | β γ | 100 |
Pa 234m | 1,2 m | β γ | 100 |
U 234 | 2,5 x 105 y | α γ | 100 |
Th 230 | 8,0 x 104 y | α γ | 100 |
Radium 226 | 1622 y | α γ | 100 |
Radon 222 | 3,8 d | α | 100 |
Po 218 | 3,05 m | α | 100 |
Pb 214 | 26,8 m | β γ | 100 |
Bi 214 | 19,7 m | β | 100 |
Po 214 | 1,6 x 10-4 s | α γ | 100 |
Tl 210 | 1,3 m | β γ | 100 |
Pb 210 | 22 y | β γ | 100 |
Bi 210 | 5,0 d | β | 100 |
Po 210 | 138 d | α | 100 |
Tl 206 | 4,2 m | β | 100 |
Pb 206 | stable |
The radiations of the nuclides in Table 1 are alpha-, beta- and gamma-rays. Gamma-rays are penetrating matter, they are very similar to x-rays. Beta- and alpha-rays are high energetic particles with electrical charge. All these rays produce mutations in tissues.[1]
Alpha-rays are of high biological effectiveness if they can get into the body via the lungs or into the stomach. Fig.1 shows tracks of single alpha particles sent out by radium. The path length in air is some centimeters, in tissue it would be only 1/1000 of that: some 10 micrometers. They are only dangerous if incorporated.[1]
Finde more articles about Uranium on the Nuclear Heritage Network webpage.