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Detailed mineralogical analysis of soils from the UK’s historical uranium mine, South Terras, was performed to elucidate the mechanisms of uranium degradation and migration in the 86 years since abandonment. Soils were sampled from the surface (0–2 cm) and near-surface (25 cm) in two distinct areas of ore processing activities. Bulk soil analysis revealed the presence of high concentrations of uranium (<1690 p.p.m.), arsenic (1830 p.p.m.) and beryllium (~250 p.p.m.), suggesting pedogenic weathering of the country rock and ore extraction processes to be the mechanisms of uranium ore degradation. Micro-focus XRF analysis indicated the association of uranium with arsenic, phosphate and copper; µ-XRD data confirmed the presence of the uranyl-arsenate minerals metazeunerite (Cu(UO2)2(AsO4)2·8H2O) and metatorbernite (Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2·8H2O) to be ubiquitous. Our data are consistent with the solid solution of these two uranyl-mica minerals, not previously observed at uranium-contaminated sites. Crystallites of uranyl-mica minerals were observed to coat particles of jarosite and muscovite, suggesting that the mobility of uranium from degraded ores is attenuated by co-precipitation with arsenic and phosphate, which was not previously considered at this site.Uranium ores: from the mines to the seaUranium liberated from the degradation of radioactive ores forms uranyl-arsenate and uranyl-phosphate minerals, reducing its migration. The soil at South Terras— formerly a major uranium-producing mine in Cornwall, England—is uranium-rich, but the form adopted by this radioactive element is poorly understood. A team led by Neil Hyatt at the University of Sheffield in the UK perform a mineralogical analysis of the soil in order to better understand the mechanisms by which uranium ores degrade and uranium is transported into nearby streams. They exploit spectroscopic and diffraction techniques to reveal that uranyl ions migrate from the primary ore and co-precipitate with arsenic and phosphate, producing metazeunerite and metatorbernite. These phases are particularly abundant at a 25 cm soil depth, coating the surfaces of micron-sized silicon, aluminium, sulphur and iron-bearing minerals, ultimately attenuating uranium mobility.

Multi-scale investigation of uranium attenuation by arsenic at an abandoned uranium mine, South Terras