Migration of Lead-210 and Stable Load in Surface Waters Impacted by Uranium Mine Wastes

Water and sediment samples from two surface water systems were analysed for ²¹⁰Pb and stable lead in order to elucidate the environmental importance and fate of ²¹⁰Pb released from uranium mining. In one system mine drainage waters treated by precipitation of barium sulfate contained a considerable activity of ²¹⁰Pb in particulate form. Spoil piles were the main source of ²¹⁰Pb in the second system, with the dissolved ²¹⁰Pb being the predominant migration form. In both systems the concentration of ²¹⁰Pb rapidly decreased with distance from the source indicating that waterborne ²¹⁰Pb did not represent an environmental problem. Uranium mining did not add significant amounts of stable lead into the surface water systems. It has been found that bottom sediments are a sensitive indicator of the pollution of surface waters with ²¹⁰Pb.