Monitoring of Natural Background Radiation in Uranium Mining Areas and Radiation Mapping

Abstract

Kazakhstan is currently the world's leading producer of natural uranium extracted by the in-situ recovery (ISR) method. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), Kazakhstan produced 21,225 tonnes of uranium in 2022, accounting for 45.14% of global uranium production. National Atomic Company Kazatomprom JSC, together with its subsidiaries, affiliated companies, and joint ventures, develops 26 uranium deposits across the Republic of Kazakhstan, organized into 14 mining assets. The objective of this study was to investigate the natural background radiation in uranium mining areas and to develop a radiation map of the study sites for the purpose of environmental and public protection.
The research focused on contaminated soil collected near production and injection wells, as well as ambient gamma dose rates measured within the territory of JV Inkai LLP (Suzak District, Turkistan Region, Kazakhstan). Gamma radiation measurements were performed using an MKS/SRP-08A dosimeter-radiometer, while the UMF-2000 alpha-beta radiometer was employed to determine the specific alpha activity of contaminated soil samples. Measurements were conducted at intervals of 3–4 days throughout the monitoring period. The MKS/SRP-08A dosimeter-radiometer is designed to detect gamma- and X-ray-emitting sources and to measure the ambient dose equivalent rate of gamma and X-ray radiation. The UMF-2000 alpha-beta radiometer is intended for measuring the total activity of alpha-emitting radionuclides in both thick and thin environmental samples. In addition, it enables the determination of alpha activity in counting samples obtained after selective radiochemical extraction, provided that the corresponding analytical procedures are available.