Questions On Uranium And Uranium - 1567 Words

School of Engineering Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering NHM 412: Hydrometallurgy Hydrometallurgy assignment 2: by R. Chiradza 10145461 Supervisor/Module Coordinator: Dr. T. Coetsee Date of Submission: 11 May 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction 1 2 Safety issues 1 3 Health issues 1 4 Environmental impact 1 5 Conclusion 2 6 References 2 7 Appendix A 3 8 Appendix B 4 1 Introduction Uranium should be produced in a safe, healthy and environmentally responsible way because this is important for consumers, producers and society as a whole. The production of uranium through hydrometallurgical processes such as leaching, ion exchange, solid-liquid separation and solvent extraction has not been without controversy, especially during the early stages of the industry. Nowadays, the industry has changed drastically and a lot more can be done to ensure that safety is a number one priority. 2 Safety issues The process of mining uranium releases radon into the atmosphere as well as other heavy metals if not properly managed. Radon is a colourless, tasteless gas and exposure to high levels can increase the chances of getting cancer. As a result, every country that has nuclear facilities, has regulations to ensure public land, air and water (both surface and groundwater) are protected now and in the future (Vance, 2014). The erosion of tailings and waste rock facilities has led to contaminants (either solid or in ground/surface water) enteringShow MoreRelatedNuclear Power Has Been Highly Controversial1525 Words   |  7 Pagesin the world, specifically uranium mining. Uranium mining is an option that was presented to the world for a source of nuclear weapons, nuclear medicine, as well as nuclear power. Uranium is a natural element, it has an average concentration of 2.8 per million in the Earth’s crust. Uranium is very abundant and is more plentiful than gold, silver, and mercury. The half-life of uranium-238 is 4.46 billion years, the half-life of uranium-234 is 245,000 years, and uranium-235 has a half-life of 704 millionRead MoreUranium in Geobacter and Its Effects Essay614 Words   |  3 Pagesto metabolize soluble uranium found in underground water sources. Uranium (U) is a radioactive element which in its soluble form (VI) causes a multitude of serious health conditions (Craft et al, 2 004). Uranium is present in the environment as a result of leaching from natural deposits and emissions from the nuclear industry (WHO, 2003). Uranium salts present in a water supply can be an extreme detriment to public health as the majority of human consumption of soluble uranium can occur through a contaminatedRead MoreGeobacters Effectivness in the Removal of Uranium Essay806 Words   |  4 Pageshave solved the age long question. They have decided that bacteria do so by a hair like pili. The pili acts much like a conductive wire, by transferring electrons. Geobacter Sulfurreduncen is one of the many bacteria that do so. The energy conducted by the pili, in turn powers the bacteria. Geobacter, for short, is able to both isolate and, in a sense, kill off uranium in contaminated ground water. So my question is, how effective would it be to clean out mass amount of uranium? First I had to learnRead MoreThe Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki1593 Words   |  7 PagesWhile some arg ue that Truman’s decision to drop the bomb was in America’s best interest, others question the ethics of dropping the most destructive weapon in the history of war on a city filled with innocent civilians (Pavlik 1995). In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt received a letter from Albert Einstein. In this letter, Einstein outlined a new field of physics in which the element uranium could undergo nuclear fission, releasing an incredible amount of energy (Katayma, n.d). EinsteinRead MoreShould Nuclear Energy Be Produced Or Not?971 Words   |  4 Pagesand governments are looking for new and more sufficient sources of energy. Nuclear energy has drawn the global attention to itself recently. Nuclear energy is source of energy generated by breaking uranium atoms and releasing extremely large amount of energy (NEA 2014) (ENEC 2011). However, the question of should nuclear power be used or not arises when the worlds energy consumption is increasing at a significant rate. Some sources illustrate that nuclear power produces perilous radiations and itRead MoreThe Manhattan Conspiracy : Overview1489 Words   |  6 Pagesdrop of both of these Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). Thus ended World War II. H owever, the United States did not have enough enriched Uranium for one bomb much less two. Where did the US obtain the enriched Uranium to accomplish this task? Did U-234 play a role in this conspiracy? U-234 The German Underwater boat was given only one mission-to transport uranium oxide to the Japanese forces. 294 feet long and 22,000 tons fully loaded, was one of the titans of the German undersea fleet; it had surfacedRead MoreThe Disaster Of Nuclear Reactors1057 Words   |  5 PagesRadioactivity, n.d.). Most power reactors use water as a coolant, in light-water reactors, the core is surrounded by the coolant under pressure. The nuclear fuel contains uranium that contains 2 to 4 percent uranium-235. For fuel rods the uranium is changed to uranium dioxide (Nuclear Energy, n.d.). Heat is created by the uranium-235 atoms splitting which is called fission then steam is made which spins a turbine to drive a generator and produces electricity, this is a nuclear reaction. FukushimaRead MoreNuclear Power And Nuclear Energy1637 Words   |  7 Pageswhich atoms are split, producing heat, which boils water. The steam then turns a turbine to produce electricity. While fission is involved in nuc lear bombs, the process in each are both different. The ‘fuel’ used for this process is Uranium-235, an isotope of uranium. Nuclear energy, contrary to popular belief, does not describe the horrible power of nuclear explosive, but the calculated, safe procedure of releasing the fundamental power of the atom. The pros of nuclear energy firmly outweigh theRead MoreThe Power of the Radioactive Atom1410 Words   |  6 Pagesbeing such a powerful force but if handled properly, nuclear reactions can be as safe as chemical reactions handled in the lab. Even mining uranium is safe. The U3O8 is only mildly radioactive. (The radiation level one metre from a drum of freshly-processed U3O8 is about half that - experienced from cosmic rays - on a commercial jet flight.) (â€Å"How Uranium† 5). With such precautions like the high pressure coolant injection system that pumps coolant whenever there is a high temperature reading orRead MoreThe P5 + 1 Agreement With Iran1654 Wor ds   |  7 PagesIran, that can limit their nuclear abilities, as displayed in the past. The deal brings forth rather easy sanctions relief for Iran, limits uranium enrichment to a certain extent where Iran can still produce nuclear weaponry, and reduces the enriched uranium stockpile that can be sold for more natural uranium which can be used to produce more enriched uranium with its ability to still develop advanced centrifuges. The issues lies within the broad and quite loosely held terms of this agreement. Knowing