The fuel cycle starts with mining uranium. Mining methods include:
- Open pit mines: When uranium is close to the surface, uranium is removed from a large pit.
- Underground mining: If the uranium lies deeper, shafts and tunnels will be made.
- In situ leach: chemicals that can dissolve uranium are injected into the ground and pumped back out.
When uranium is first mined it is an ore, mixed with other materials. The ore is dissolved to separate the uranium. It is removed as uranium oxide, which is a combination of uranium and oxygen. This is commonly called yellowcake (U3O8). The leftovers from milling are called tailings and contain a small amount of radioactive materials. They are treated as radioactive waste.
Uranium mining radiation hazards
The most prominent radioactive hazard in uranium mining is the presence of radon and its decay products. Radon is a noble gas that is produced during the decay of uranium. Radon itself is radioactive and decays by producing alpha particles. This is extremely dangerous as radon is easily inhaled and alpha radiation is extremely damaging to internal organs. This is most dangerous to miners who are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Other dangerous radioactive materials include thorium-230, radium-226 and their decay products which are alpha and gamma emitters. These radionuclides also pose risks to the surrounding areas as they can be transferred offsite either by air or in water supplies.