Investigation of disposal of nitrate-bearing effluent from in-situ leaching process by natural evaporation in Yining uranium mine

Experiments indicated, after lime neutralization and precipitation of nitrate-bearing effluent from in-situ leaching process, uranium concentration increase with the increasing of nitrate concentration. Only when nitrate concentration is <0.5 mg/L, uranium concentration can drop from 1.5-2.0 mg/L to about 1.0 mg/L. The permeability coefficient of soil is about 1.0-1.1 m/d in the place which is scheduled for building natural evaporation pool. After lime neutralization of nitrate-bearing effluent, it can drop to 0.03-0.01 m/d. Setting up water-proof layer in natural evaporation pool can reduce pollution of underground water by uranium, nitrate and ammonium