Radiochemical characterization and environmental radiological impact in tin and lead processing from cassiterite

The tin and lead industry located in Pirapora do Bom Jesus in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is responsible for the production of about 7000 ton year-1 of tin and 350 ton year-1 of lead. The raw material used in this facility is cassiterite, which presents in its composition concentrations of natural radionuclides from the uranium and thorium series up to 660 kBq kg-1 and 450 kBq kg-1, respectively. The smelting and refining processes may lead to concentrations of these radionuclides, mainly in the precipitated dust and in slag. In the operational process, intermediate refining and final slag are obtained and are stored in piles in open air. It is estimated that the amount of waste stored is about 600000 ton. This work aims to study the environmental radiological impact of the operation of this facility and to establish its Environmental Radiological Monitoring Program. In order to accomplish this task the content of radioactivity was determined in the raw material, products, byproducts, residue, deposition pond and exhausting systems. Although in the raw material the radionuclides from the uranium and thorium series are almost in equilibrium, during the processing this equilibrium is disrupted and the radionuclides migrate according to their chemical properties. Concentrations up to 31 kBq kg-1 for 238U, 69 kBq kg-1 for 226Ra, 2.5 kBq kg-1 for 210Pb, 130 kBq kg-1 for 232Th and 120 kBq kg-1 for 228Ra were obtained in the slag. The environmental radiological impact was established by measuring the radionuclides in the critical compartments that is the ones that may cause exposure to the public. If the residue pile is considered, the critical pathways are the internal exposition from the dust inhalation and the water ingestion, due to re suspension and dispersion of the pile dust and groundwater contamination, respectively; and external exposure due to immersion in the radioactive cloud and soil contamination. For the emission of gaseous and particulate effluents from the chimneys, the critical pathways are the internal exposition from the radon inhalation and external exposure due to immersion in the radioactive cloud and due to soil contamination. The environmental matrices defined as critical were: ground water, soil and air; and the critical radionuclides were U, Th, 226Ra, 228Ra and 210Pb. (author)