Assessment of changes of environmental radioactive components in copper mining and processing at Sin Quyen mine, Lao Cai province

Abstract

The Sin Quyen copper mine in the area of 140 ha has been exploited and processed since 1992. Ore reserve at 121 level was evaluated to be 650,000 tons and estimated annual copper production was about 10,000 tons per year. Currently, mining licence was approved for extending in the East and the West zones on the area of 210 ha. The total copper ore reserve was estimated to be 55 million tons with average ore content of 2.52%, uranium content in copper ore varies from 25 to 120 ppm, thorium content varies from 3 to 15 ppm. Mine has been extracting with annual volume of rocks and soils equivalent to 8.1 million cubic meters and two production lines with about 1.5 million tons of crude ore. In this paper, the authors presented the increasing results of the enviromental radioactive components due to copper mining and processing activities in the mining sites, sifting units, and dumping sites which disseminated radioactive elements into the surrounding environment. Additionally, the prevention and mitigation solutions for radioactive pollution for workers and staffs involved in the mining activities as well as for people in adjacent residential areas were also proposed.