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DGGV-E-Publikationen

Title: Radon Emanations from Soils: Case Study of Central Ukrainian Uranium Province

Authors:
Valentyn Verkhovtsev, Tamara Viktorivna Dudar, Yurii Tyshchenko, Volodymyr Pokalyuk

Institutions:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine

Event: GeoKarlsruhe 2021

Date: 2021

DOI: 10.48380/dggv-f1g4-w996

Summary:
Ukraine is known as a uranium mining country located in the Central-Eastern Europe. The authors have been studying radioecological situation within the Central Ukrainian Uranium Province where the uranium deposits are located (operated, dormant and perspective ones) for more than 10 years already. Radioecological research, including the radon emanations from soils, allowed us allocating radon-hazardous areas associated with uranium mineralization.

The recently studied Mykhailivska ore area (south-eastern part of the Ukrainian Shield) is a unique one in terms of the location of two different types of uranium deposits here. One type is an endogenous deposit represented by the main ore body and almost 20 smaller ore anomalous. The other type belongs to exogenous infiltration uranium deposits type of Paleogene epoch uranium ore formation. The area of 15 km x 20 km was explored and more than 150 measurements of radon flux density (RFD) were made.

The measurement RFD is based on the determination of the activity of radon accumulated due to the inflow of a known area from the soil surface, in a measuring chamber or sampler during pumping with a blower for 5 minutes. The exposure time of one sample is 20 minutes. Areas adjacent to uranium ore manifestations are characterized by increased levels of radon exhalation, which is typical for areas containing uranium minerals.

High and average radon-prone areas were outlined and maps of radon anomalies prepared.

Geological interpretation is supposed to be used while further planned uranium extraction through method of underground leaching within the researched territory.



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