NORM & Legacy Legacy Sites Sites NORM & Environmental pollution and Environmental pollution and remediation challenges in Upper remediation challenges in Upper Silesia Coal Basin, , Poland Poland Silesia Coal Basin Bogus ł ł aw MICHALIK aw MICHALIK Bogus , Katowice, POLAND Institute , Central Mining Central Mining Institute Katowice, POLAND 2 nd Meeting of the EMRAS II Workings Group 2, Vienna 23-25 September 2009
Upper Silesia Coal Basin Upper Silesia Coal Basin a post- -industrial landscape industrial landscape a post � Industrial activity has been Industrial activity has been � carried out since XII century carried out since XII century � 25% of total surface is 25% of total surface is � covered by anthropogenic covered by anthropogenic formation made from formation made from different industrial waste different industrial waste � Approximately the same Approximately the same � proportion of surface is proportion of surface is deformed due to deformed due to underground mining underground mining � Different pollution coexists Different pollution coexists �
Upper Silesia Coal Basin Upper Silesia Coal Basin a post- -industrial landscape industrial landscape a post � Coal take Coal take- -off above 200 millions of tonnes off above 200 millions of tonnes � per year (in seventies of XX century) per year (in seventies of XX century) currently about 70 millions of tonnes currently about 70 millions of tonnes � 50 underground hard coal mines still in 50 underground hard coal mines still in � operation (in 35 administrative units) operation (in 35 administrative units) � Daily surface discharge of saline water Daily surface discharge of saline water � 3 about 100 000 m 3 about 100 000 m
Discharge of radium- -bearing bearing Discharge of radium waters into surface waters into surface � All coal mines have to pump water out of the All coal mines have to pump water out of the � underground galleries underground galleries � In 40 out of 50 coal mines in Upper Silesia brines In 40 out of 50 coal mines in Upper Silesia brines � with high concentration of radium occur with high concentration of radium occur � Some proportion of radium remains in underground Some proportion of radium remains in underground � galleries due to spontaneous precipitation or galleries due to spontaneous precipitation or technical measures but up to 40% of the total inflow technical measures but up to 40% of the total inflow is pumped onto surface is pumped onto surface
Radium- -bearing bearing waters waters Radium Ba 2+ 2- Type of SO 4 Ra-226 Ra-228 water [kBq/m 3 ] [kBq/m 3 ] [g/l] [g/l] A 0.5 - 390 0.3 - 150 Up to 1.5 traces B 0.1 - 20 0.1 -40 no Up to 15 Behaviour of radium depends mainly on the presence of barium ions in water
Maximum values of f radium activity concentration in radium activity concentration in Maximum values o formation water , years 1999- -2008 2008 formation water , years 1999 250,00 200,00 150,00 kBq/m 3 100,00 50,00 0,00 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Ra-226 max Ra_228 max Sum
Maximum values of radium activity concentration in Maximum values of radium activity concentration in sediments, years 1999- -2008 2008 sediments, years 1999 1000000 commited dose 6 mSv 100000 Ra-226 + Ra-228, Bq/kg commited dose 1 mSv low activity radioactive 10000 waste effective dose 6 mSv 1000 effective dose 1 mSv 100 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Mine water destination … Mine water destination … � From mines at south From mines at south- -west part of USCB: west part of USCB: � The Oder Oder river through river through settling/retentive settling/retentive The ponds, pumping stations and pipelines. , pumping stations and pipelines. ponds � Remaining: Remaining: � The Vistula river, through s settling ettling/retentive /retentive The Vistula river, through ponds, streams and small river , streams and small river ponds
The „OLZA” pipeline – mine water collector � Eight mines are connected Eight mines are connected � 3 /h Each mine discharges about 200 m 3 � Each mine discharges about 200 m /h � � The total length The total length: : close to 100 km close to 100 km � � The pipes diameter The pipes diameter: : 300 up 800 mm 300 up 800 mm � � The total discharge of water to the The total discharge of water to the Oder Oder river: river: � 3 /h (above 13 000 3 /year) 1500 m 3 m 3 /h (above 13 000 000 000 m /year) 1500 m � The maximum Radium concentration in water The maximum Radium concentration in water � inflow: : 11 Bq/l 11 Bq/l inflow � 10 settling/retentive ponds 10 settling/retentive ponds �
The „OLZA” pipeline – mine water collector Jankowice 350 internal diameter: 350mm Pompownia 30 Wall thickness: 30mm Chwa ł owice Jankowice plastic pipe 350 ? Marcel steel pipe 400 Pompownia ? Va Grids Marcel Borynia 409 300 45,4 Pomp station ? Krupi ń ski Marcel Borynia Szyby Marklowice 327 The Oder river Ia VI Pomp station 327 400 36,3 Krupi ń ski ? 36,3 Jas-Mos 409 45,4 300 Pomp station Marcel 400 ? Jas-Mos Zofiówka Ruch 1 Maja ? Pomp station Odra Pomp station 300 458 Zofiówka 400 ? 50,8 1 ? II I III V Va 6 Vc 3 3 IV m 570 705 800 581 600 409 327 30 47 ? 64,5 ? 45,4 36,3 500 515 ? 57,2 1 2 3 Pomp station Pniówek Zwa ł owisko Pniówek The Le ś nica river Ko ś cielniok Pomp station Moszczenica Zbiorniki retencyjne
The „OLZA” pipeline – mine water collector: Occupational risk Occupational risk Exposure to external gamma Exposure to external gamma radiation in pumps stations radiation in pumps stations and pipeline’ ’s grids/checking s grids/checking and pipeline points points gamma dose rate reaches: gamma dose rate reaches: ± 0.44 µ Sv/h 3.70 ± 0.44 µ Sv/h 3.70
The „OLZA” pipeline – mine water collector: environmental effect The maximum radium The maximum radium � � concentration in water discharged concentration in water discharged into the Oder Oder river: 0.03 river: 0.03 Bq/l Bq/l – – into the there is’ ’t t noticeable effect in the noticeable effect in the there is river river � Contaminated scrap Contaminated scrap � remains remains underground… ….. .. underground
SETTLING PONDS IN COAL MINING INDUSTRY SETTLING PONDS IN COAL MINING INDUSTRY Artificial reservoirs, situated on Artificial reservoirs, situated on � � territory of a colliery, sealed and territory of a colliery, sealed and protected against uncontrolled spread protected against uncontrolled spread of sediments, periodically cleaned, of sediments, periodically cleaned, access is restricted to mine staff access is restricted to mine staff Natural lakes or former fish ponds, Natural lakes or former fish ponds, � � adapted as settling ponds without adapted as settling ponds without any protective layers or barriers, any protective layers or barriers, nowadays usually excluded from nowadays usually excluded from technological process, accessible for technological process, accessible for common people and non- common people and non -human human biota biota
Sediments originating from mine effluents Sediments originating from mine effluents the main source of environmental burden the main source of environmental burden Contain high enough activity Contain high enough activity concentration of radionuclides concentration of radionuclides to be classified as radioactive to be classified as radioactive waste, waste, Occur in huge quantities Occur in huge quantities deposited directly in the deposited directly in the environment, environment, Consist of wide variety of Consist of wide variety of chemical compounds and chemical compounds and different minerals, different minerals, After releasing can start After releasing can start chemical or physical processes chemical or physical processes leading to the additional leading to the additional radionuclides concentration, , radionuclides concentration Frequently are associated with Frequently are associated with other pollutants as heavy other pollutants as heavy metals, sulphates, metals, sulphates, hydrocarbons. hydrocarbons.
SETTLING PONDS IN COAL MINING SETTLING PONDS IN COAL MINING INDUSTRY INDUSTRY There are 25 currently working settling ponds There are 25 currently working settling ponds containing sediments with enhanced containing sediments with enhanced concentration of radium isotopes concentration of radium isotopes (the old ones are not well identified) (the old ones are not well identified) Total content: 5 million cubic meters of 5 million cubic meters of Total content: sediments sediments
Basic statistics of sampled d Basic statistics of sample surface sediments surface sediments Ra Ra 226 Ra 228 Ra 226 228 Bq/kg Bq/kg 4 341 1 631 4 341 1 631 Arithmetic average Arithmetic average 152 104 152 104 Median Median <1 <1 <1 <1 Minimum Minimum 156 942 83 785 156 942 83 785 Maximum Maximum 711 711 711 711 Number of samples Number of samples
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