Hazards and effects of inhaling Uranium

Uranium presents both chemical and radiological hazards. Risk assessments must address both types of hazards. There are some problems with the comparison of these hazards. They are,

• insufficient data for chemical toxicity
• standards for radiation doses and chemical toxicity not comparable
• residual risk from chemical toxicity regarded acceptable usually is orders of magnitude lower than from radiation

The inhalation of soluble forms of uranium in air produced the lowest observable adverse effect. From this figure, a "minimal risk" inhalation level for humans of 0.4 µg/m³ is derived.The inhalation of insoluble forms of uranium in air produced no observable adverse effect. From this figure, a "minimal risk" inhalation level for humans of 8 µg/m³ is derived.

Inhalation of uranium for workers
(based on radiological hazard)

		insoluble				soluble
		Dose fact. [mSv/mg]	ALI [mg]	DAC [µg/m3]		Dose fact. [mSv/mg]	ALI [mg]	DAC [µg/m3]
natural uranium with progeny		0.42	47.6	16.5		0.34	59	21
pure natural uranium		0.2	100	34.7		0.013	1520	530
enriched natural uranium (3.5%)		0.676	29.6	10.3		0.044	450	159
depleted natural uranium (0.2%)		0.110	183	63.4		0.0073	2740	950
recycled uranium		0.65	31	10.8		0.041	486	169
enriched recycled uranium (3.5% equiv.)		2.80	7.15	2.5		0.176	114	39
depleted recycled uranium (0.2%)		0.173	116	40		0.011	1750	610

• ALI = Annual Limit on Intake based on 20 mSv/a
• DAC = Derived Air Concentration based on 20 mSv/a, breathing rate of 1.6 m³/h, working time of 1800 h/a
• Short-lived decay products included
• Based on ICRP68 dose factors for 1 µm AMAD, initial enrichment to 3.5%, burnup of 39 GWd/tHM, storage time of 5 years after unload.

Inhalation of uranium for the public

(based on radiological hazard)

		insoluble				soluble
		Dose factor [mSv/mg]	ALI [mg]	DAC [µg/m3]		Dose factor [mSv/mg]	ALI [mg]	DAC [µg/m3]
natural uranium with progeny		0.70	1.42	0.18		1.6	0.63	0.08
pure natural uranium		0.22	4.5	0.58		0.013	74.5	9.4
enriched natural uranium (3.5%)		0.75	1.34	0.17		0.045	22.3	2.8
depleted natural uranium (0.2%)		0.12	8.3	1.05		0.0075	134	17
recycled uranium		0.71	1.41	0.18		0.081	12.3	1.6
enriched recycled uranium (3.5% equiv.)		3.1	0.324	0.041		0.4	2.49	0.32
depleted recycled uranium (0.2%)		0.19	5.27	0.67		0.012	85.1	11

• ALI = Annual Limit on Intake based on 1 mSv/a
• DAC = Derived Air Concentration based on 1 mSv/a, breathing rate of 0.9 m³/h, continuous exposure
• Short-lived decay products included
• Based on ICRP72 dose factors for adults, initial enrichment to 3.5%, burnup of 39 GWd/tHM, storage time of 5 years after unload.

Current Standards of Inhalation:

U.S. NRC Occupational Annual Limits on Intake (ALI's) for Inhalation

U_natural (soluble): 1 µCi (= 37000 Bq, equiv. to 1.5 g)
U_natural (insoluble): 0.05 µCi (= 1850 Bq, equiv. to 74 mg)
These values are based on a committed effective dose equivalent of 5 rems (50 mSv).

U.S. NRC Occupational Derived Air Concentrations (DAC's)

U_natural (soluble): 5.0E-10 µCi per ml of air (= 18.5 Bq/m³, equiv. to 0.74 mg/m³)
But, to address the chemical toxicity, the following tighter criterion is defined, in addition to the radiological one:

• 0.2 mg uranium/m³ of air (for soluble uranium)
  
• 0.045 mg natural uranium/m³ of air, if its decay products are present in equilibrium, as in ore dust prior to chemical separation of the uranium from the ore
  

U_natural (insoluble): 2.0E-11 µCi per ml (= 0.74 Bq/m³, equiv. to 29.5 µg/m³)

U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations

Permissible Exposure Limit - Time Weighted Average:
soluble uranium: 0.05 mg/m³
insoluble uranium: 0.25 mg/m³ (!)

Uranium dust creates a problem

In excess of the last 2 1/2 years the dust problem in uranium that would accompany the opening of an open-pit uranium mine in Pittsylvania County. The low-level radioactive dust that would appear with the blasting and the shadowing piles. Low-level radiation accumulates in the body. Moreover the leakage of radioactive water comes from the holding ponds.

On Sept. 25, 2009, Australian Broadcasting Corp. News explains about the dust problem that is now happening in South Australia. From the area of and about the Olympic Dam Uranium Mine Site, dust is blowing for several hundreds of miles. There is some low-level radioactive substance in this dust.

On March 15, 2009, Northwest Territory Government (Australia) spokes to the mining company ERA regarding the contaminated water trickle from the Ranger Uranium Mine's tailing pond. Now at the Ranger Mine are discussion on 100,000 liters a day. This comes to about 25,000 gallons of contaminated water a day. These are mainly new mines with the latest technology.

This is not something from the earlier period, this is today's technology and today's problem. So, this is what happening elsewhere and stop "our" mine before it happens here.

Iran proposes it is not ready to export uranium

An Iranian representative says his country desires to buy fuel for its Tehran research reactor, the most recent indication that Iran is not willing to ship most of its enriched uranium out of the country.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh says that, Iran wants to buy the fuel and is ready for new talks to work out details.

If that means Iran is not ready to export most of its enriched uranium supply for it to be turned into the fuel, he again supposed his country wants to buy ready-made fuel.

His comments were a strong indication that Iran will not recognize the international offer that would have exposed Iran of most of its enriched stock.

If Iran exports most of its enriched uranium, its capability to make the center of a nuclear warhead would be postponed.

With Every Cloud Comes a Uranium coating

Nanotechnology appears Up With New Levers to Control the British Economy.

With the 'incredibly decrease British economy' comes a life-line: nano-levers.

Very small forces for controlling a very small economy.

"We require levers that operate at the molecular level," said one economy expert, "the British economy has become a 'shrinking-violet' - pretty soon we won't have to be anxious about cutting back on CO2 emissions."

Putting spin on the latest miserable GDP figures, Alistair Darling (British Chancellor of the Exchequer, a pompous government department): "This is surely good news, the latest drop in GDP figures will spurn more growth in Cap 'n Trade, we can sell our CO2 emission permits to China - it's a grand opportunity for both nations."

Predicting a fall off in tax revenues the British government implied at a more Lib-Dem approach to the economy.

"We need various kind of business growth so we are heartening our water treatment works (sewage farms) to use most modern nanotechnology to extract precious metals like gold (Au) and platinum (Pt) from waste water."

"The latest Iranian internal investment figures show obviously that Iran is buying up water waste dispensation plants and egg battery ranches dotted around nuclear facilities at former Windscale (now renamed Sellafield) in Cumbria."

"We did not recognize that gold and other precious elements could be extracted from waste water from Sellafield," considered one British official.

Iran will enhance high uranium if third-party deals fail

Iran said that it will enrich uranium, the most divisive part of its atomic programme, to the 20 percent clarity required for a research reactor in Tehran if third-party deals fail.

"We will write a letter and pronounce to the agency (International Atomic Energy Agency) that Iran will act frankly to supply the fuel for the Tehran reactor," ISNA news agency quoted Ali Shirzadian as saying when asked what would happen if proposed third-party deals fail.

Officials from Iran, the United States, Russia, France and the IAEA are to assemble in Vienna on October 19 , 2009 to work out the modalities for deals under which Tehran has said, it is organized to buy 20 percent pure uranium from abroad.

"Iran completely owns the enrichment technology and hence it will sit at the discussing table with influence," Shirzadian said, adding that Tehran desires to "buy the fuel for the Tehran reactor in mass as it is more economical."

He also supposed that the reactor needs about 200 kilograms of 20 percent pure uranium to operate, but did not state how long that would last.

During the latest talks in Geneva between Tehran and six major world powers, Iran granted to buy the superior grade uranium required from overseas suppliers.

Uranium enrichment lies at the compassion of Western concerns about the Iranian nuclear programme. The susceptible process can produce fuel for national nuclear reactors or, in greatly extended form, the fissile core of an atomic bomb.

Worlds Uranium Production in Canada and Australia since 1990

The world's approximately 440 nuclear reactors require well over 150 million pounds of Uranium every year.

So how much uranium do we presently produce?
Only about 100 million pounds. And the stock of uranium collected from disassembled nuclear weapons is declining fast. To say the least, uranium is currently in a huge bull market - just look at price soar since 2003.

Consider these details from the World Nuclear Association Symposium in 2001:

• 1 kg of fuel equals about 1 kWh of electricity.
• 1 kg of coal or oil equals around 3 or 4 kWh of electricity.
• But 1 kg of natural uranium equals almost 50,000 kWh of electricity.
However the spread of nuclear technology hasn't been the only factor in boosting uranium's price.

For uranium, the only choice for investment is either Canada or Australia. Collectively, those two make up nearly 45% of the world's uranium production. One of the best parts of Australia's uranium explosion is that China is slavering over the enormous Aussie reserves.

The land behind under is set to supply the Chinese with 2,500 metric tons of uranium every year to fuel their nuclear program.

As the mark price for uranium approaches the $100 per pound mark, Australia's mining companies will blow up. Uranium's growth has stimulated the government to reconsider its policy of "no new uranium mines."

But whenever you look at the potential of uranium, you'll always end up in Canada, which holds around 15% of global uranium reserves and is the world's leading producer.

Depleted Uranium is a crime