Spatial Distribution of the Geogenic Radon Gas in Soils Near a Small Town and a Prospective Uranium Mine, Western Black Hills, Wyoming, USA

Authors : Ümit YILDIZ

Pages : 22-30

View : 20 | Download : 44

Publication Date : 2023-04-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Natural radiation, which derives from uranium, thorium, and potassium, exists in a variety of geological environments including soils, rocks, plants, water bodies, and air, and is widely distributed in the Earth’s crust. Regions with uranium-rich soil or rock typically have very high radon levels and it is a known fact that radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and it ranks as the second most common cause of lung cancer overall. This study aimed to create spatial distribution maps of radon gas concentrations in the soils close to a small town and a prospective uranium mine located in the western flank of the Black Hills uplift, Wyoming, to determine the potential health risks of the area. During this study, 204 in-situ measurements of the radon soil gas concentration in the soil were conducted within a study area of about 114 km2, which is located near Moorcroft, Crook County, Wyoming, United States. The concentrations for radon soil gas ranged from 1.1 kBq/m3 to 371.3 kBq/m3 with an average of 53.5 kBq/m3. In addition, a spatial distribution map was created for the soil gas radon concentrations. Based on this map, elevated concentration values appeared to be in the Moorcroft town center and the southeastern and southwestern portions of the study area. The northern part of the study area, which is closer to the prospective uranium mine, also shows east-west trending elevated values. The presence of the high-risk soil gas radon activity concentrations within the study area can be explained by the presence of the roll front type uranium mineralization in the northern part of the research area. 40% of the sites, with radon levels exceeding 50 kBq/m3, indicated high risk in the region.
Keywords : radon toprak gazı, uranyum madeni, mekansal dağılım haritası