Prolonged exposure to uranium deposits causes lung cancer. (File photo)
All Uranium mined end up as either nuclear weapons or highly radioactive waste from nuclear reactors. Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive toxic element, found in the ground worldwide, including Tanzania, soon to be mined! Countries with active uranium mining are Australia, Canada, Central Africa Republic, France Namibia, Niger, South Africa and the US. The normal decay of uranium in the soil results in the production of decay radioactive products.
In the process of mining uranium we liberate from the ground these natural radioactive substances like radium and radon, which are among the most harmful materials known in science.
Uranium emits ionising nuclear radiation like x-rays. Ionising radiation is energetic enough to break chemical bonds, thereby possessing the ability to damage or destroy living cells. Hence the need to keep away from nuclear radiation x-rays, uranium and its radioactive waste. Ultrasound, radio, sound and light are non-ionising nuclear radiations and are harmless
As long as the mineral remains outside the body, uranium poses little health hazards. However, if uranium is inhaled or ingested, its radioactivity and toxicity pose increased risks of lung cancer as well as cancer of bones, stomach, soft tissue and blood. It may also cause damage to internal organs notably kidneys alongside affecting the reproductive system, leading to birth defects in future generations.
Imaging swallowing or inhaling small radiation exposing x-ray machines with jammed exposure switches could result in serious health effects in the form of cancer. Similar incidence of diseases is observed in Atomic bomb survivors, refer bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan 1942 at end of World War II.
All the decay radioactive products of uranium remain in the crushed rock when uranium is separated from the ore. The rock left over’s waste contains 85 per cent radioactivity of the ore as well as heavy metals and toxic dissolving chemicals, which have dangerous health hazards.
Uranium mining is responsible for introducing into the human environment a tremendous large range of radioactive materials which are all very harmful to biological organisms – human beings included.
These are not invisible x-rays, they are materials. They get into our water, our food and the air we breathe. Of course they are exactly like other materials, except that they are radioactive. They can pollute the environment and get into the air we breathe and the water we drink. Hence uranium gets into our respiratory and digestive systems, with serious health hazards to the population living near and afar from the mines.
Let’s briefly have a look at the devastating aspect of radioactive radon gas. The radioactive waste stored near the mines is continuously generating radon gas. Radon gas is about eight times heavier than air, so it stays close to the ground. It will travel 1,000 kilometres in just a few days in a light breeze. And as it drifts along it deposits radioactivity on the vegetation below. So that you get radioactivity polluting plants, vegetables, grass, fish and animals at a radius of thousands of kilometres from the mining sites.
For a population leaving in an area with uranium deposits, radon gas can seep into their homes through cracks in the foundation of their houses, and become trapped. Prolonged exposure to the radon gas in their homes will cause lung cancer.
Indeed, radon gas is a mechanism of pumping radioactivity into the environment for the coming millennia. And this is one of the hidden real dangers of radioactive waste, a direct product of uranium mining.
The big question here is how long will this radioactivity of the uranium waste be there? This radioactivity is known to have long half – life, hence it will remain active for thousands of years.
‘Indeed is a real problem of modern science to solve.
History has it that uranium mining companies had never solved problems associated with extraction of uranium and also never employed good practice of settling uranium radioactive waste seriously after the mining activity is complete.
Of course, these foreign companies have their eyes fixed on maximising profits against corresponding safe infrastructure investment. Some of the companies run away from implementing this social cooperative responsibility to the poor ignorant communities.
This happens in countries where local atomic energy commissions are non-existent, or if present are under- equipped with the necessary human and material resources for effective supervision, monitoring and control of the foreign mining companies for radiation protection to the miners and the environment.
The whole population in the area surrounding the mines is endangered with the diseases mentioned above, lung cancer being the most serious for miners due to inhalation of radon gas in the pits and in the dusty atmosphere of the processing mills.
Uranium radioactive waste stored close to the mines can leach into ground water and contaminate drinking water. Other possibilities of radioactivity reaching humans and environment are a result of deficient radioactive waste management practices by the mining companies, coupled with other unavoidable natural carriers of the radionuclides like wind, rain, floods, fire, dam failure, earthquakes etc.
Radioactive waste contaminated water and substances are incorporated in the human body through both the respiratory and the digestive systems. The polluted water kills residents, animals, insects, natural vegetation of the affected environment.
Open pit mines can be hundreds of meters wide and deep and can entail destruction of the local ecosystem. The environment is polluted with radioactive materials either in solid, liquid and gaseous state. Water shortages can be caused by uranium mining and refining which need the input of large quantities of water, leading to water shortages, making it worse in other sectors of the society in many places in Africa where water supply is already problematic.
The large consumption of water as well as the direct health hazards of the contaminated water, damages the mining region both ecologically and economically – and therefore in-turn human health.
The extraction of water leads to a reduction of ground water table and desertification. Plants and animals die, the traditional means of subsistence for the local people and animals is thus destroyed. Here consider uranium mines located in the neighbourhood of exotic game reserves.
The immense amount of water that is used by the uranium mining represents another problem. For instance, the NGO network of Niger and France, examined the effects of uranium mines in Niger. They concluded that among other things, the mines consumed 270 billion litres of water, over 40 years of operation.
After use in the uranium mines, the contaminated water was dumped back into rivers and lakes. The consequence is the materials getting into the digestive system of the innocent and unaware local people. Many of the residents will die of cancer and related diseases.
Even when the uranium is no longer extracted, the health risks remain. Usually unused mines are flooded with water contaminated with radioactivity and heavy metals which keep seeping into ground water and into drinking water. The author of this study reports that the waste rock from mines is used for improving roads and building houses in Niger. Radioactive metals and articles from the mines are used for making cooking utensils. Mind you there was a time when radium, also uranium in disguise, was used as a decorative paint for business sign boards and facial paints, etc.
In 1979 a damp holding water in a radioactive settling pond at the United Nuclear Fuels Corporation Mill near Church Rock, New Mexico gave way and released about 100 million gallons of contaminated water into Puerto River which cuts through Navajo grazing lands, hence introducing radioactivity and toxic contaminants into the food chain. The meat, milk from such animals will be radioactive, and the people consuming them will be polluted with radioactivity and die of cancer.
Workers of open cast uranium mines in Namibia suffer from health problems, including malignant diseases at a higher prevalence, compared to general population.
Mining and milling operations in the US have disproportionately affected the indigenous population around the globe. For example nearly one third of all mill radioactive waste from abandoned mill operations are in the lands of Navajo nation alone.
Many native Americans have died of lung cancer linked to their work in the uranium mines. Others continue to suffer from the effects of land and water contamination due to seepage and spill from radioactive waste piles and ponds, located near the mines. Finally, uranium mining can cause social conflicts. Inherit Niger Lona Areva base, was attacked by disenchanted Tuareg rebels. Social unrest can also be caused by unequal social distribution of mining profits and revenues.
Most uranium mines in the USA have shut down and imports account for about 75 per cent of roughly 16 tonnes of refined uranium used each year. Canada being the biggest single supplier has 200 million tonnes of radioactive waste from her uranium mining and refining activities.
Mining industry itself is a complete disaster. Large mining companies are allowed to take public lands and spoil them, while making large profits, leaving behind huge mining pits, water and soil contaminated with heavy metal and radioactivity, contained in the radioactive waste e.g. radon gas. Mining activity benefits more investors than the local people.
In conclusion the developing countries in the process of starting mining uranium, must learn a lesson from the USA, the most powerful rich and technically advanced nation in the world, who for the sake of protecting its environmental pollution from the known post uranium mining hazardous health effects, to its citizen of today, tomorrow and future generation, admitted that enough was enough, and shut down most of uranium mining in their country.
The big lesson here for Tanzania with its Uranium deposit soon to be exploited is that; until now there is no proper way of destroying completely remains of uranium mining, and therefore it is difficult to control the effects of the mineral that will end thousands of years. Above all the cost of cleaning up the environment and avoidance of effects caused by remains of big uranium mines and management of radioactive waste will put a big strain on the already ailing country’s economy.
A section of the Tanzanian media on June 8, 2013 quoted Energy and Minerals minister Professor Sospeter Muhongo as telling a visiting delegation of experts from the European Union that uranium mining will start soon in Tanzania and that the government has satisfied itself that this process will have no hazardous health effects to the population.
It is hoped that this official statement was issued after consultations with the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission which is legally responsible for all radioactive materials in the country, uranium being no exception.
In summary, such statements should dwell first with the technical matters and let experts and responsible institutions take the major part on advising and educating the public on at least five aspects.
One: Key steps taken to ensure safety and safeguarding of the communities around and the environment for the present generation and future ones.
Two: How the uranium mining radioactive wastes (tailings) will be handled during and after the mining.
Three: The degree to which the population around the mines is aware of what is going on and how to react upon any unexpected event;
Four: The results of the baseline studies that need to be carried out before the commencement of the mining.
Five: The safety measures and programmes aimed at protecting workers and the environment against radiation and radioactive materials.
These are among the key questions that need to be answered by the experts and indeed the responsible institutions before such statements are issued by high-calibre politicians.
Dr Lyimo is a radiologist, the first Tanzanian to graduate in Radio Diagnostic Imaging at the UK’s University of Bristol. He was the first Executive Secretary and Registrar of the former Tanzania National Radiation Commission, now Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission, and is a part-time consultant with the World Health Organisation on the development of a basic radiological system for developing countries.
Currently, he is a consulting radiologist and director with X-Ray Centre in Arusha.
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