Uranium tailings
Uranium tailings or uranium tails are a radioactive waste byproduct (tailings) of conventional uranium mining and uranium enrichment. They contain the radioactive decay products from the uranium decay chains, mainly the U-238 chain, and heavy metals. Long-term storage or disposal of tailings may pose a danger for public health and safety. Production Uranium mill tailings are primarily the sandy process waste material from a conventional uranium mill. Milling is the first step in making fuel for nuclear reactors from natural uranium ore. The uranium extract is transformed into yellowcake. The raw uranium ore is brought to the surface and crushed into a fine sand. The valuable uranium-bearing minerals are then removed via heap leaching with the use of acids or bases, and the remaining radioactive sludge, called "uranium tailings", is stored in huge impoundments. A short ton (907 kg) of ore yields one to five pounds (0.45 to 2.3 kg) of uranium depending on the uranium content of the mineral. Uranium tailings can retain up to 85% of the ore's original radioactivity. Composition The tailings contain mainly decay products from the decay chain involving Uranium-238. Uranium tailings contain over a dozen radioactive nuclides, which are the primary hazard posed by