Environmental Impact Assessment of Uranium Anormaly in Stream System around the Shinbo Talc Mine

신보활석광산 주변에 형성된 우라늄 이상치가 지표수계 환경에 미치는 영향

In order to evaluate the environmental impact of U anormaly in the drainage system around the Shinbo talc mine area, U contents, their distribution patterns, bioaccumulation and a-radioactivity in stream water, stream sediments and aquatic organisms were investigated. The U contents of stream water attenuated with increasing distance from the mine area. The same attenuation pattern is shown in stream sediments from mine to 0.75 km downstream, although these contain highly enriched U contents (24~83 mg/kg) comparing with the international average concentration of surface soils (0.79~11 mg/kg). However, U content increases abruptly in sediment at 1.5 km downstream, probably due to detrital migration and rediposition of U enriched sediments. Futhermore, enriched U in downstream sediments occur in high proportions of carbonate and Fe-Mn oxide bounded forms, which show high potential of a secondary pollution source. For aquatic organisms, bio accumulation degree of U are in the order: aquatic larvae>black snail>mountain frog>crawfish. Cultured trout by the U enrich groundwater (387 ${\mu}g$/l) shows U accumulation in the part of branchia (CRs 5.25) and bones (CRs 11.2) but not in flesh (CRs 0.03). Total a-radioactivity have been measured in the level as 0.47 nCi/l for groundwater, 2.94~18 nCi/kg${\cdot}$DW for organisms and 93~328 nCi/kg${\cdot}$DW for sediments.