Mobilization of radionuclides and trace metals in tailings at the Rautuvaara mining site

The old Rautuvaara mining area is located in North-West Finland, in the municipality of Kolari. Rautuvaara mine was operational between the years of 1962 and 1988 and the tailings field, located in the Niesajoki valley, was used to dispose of mine tailings from several different mines until 1995. Currently there are no mining activities at the Rautuvaara mining area, but it has become an object of interest, since an on-going mining prospect in Hannukainen is planning on transporting their produced tailings to Rautuvaara and depositing them above the existing ones. Sulphide-bearing ores and mine waste are known to form acid mine drainage (AMD) when sulphuric acid forms in the oxidative dissolution of sulphide minerals. The decreased pH in the area affected by AMD can further dissolve and mobilize harmful elements from the surroundings minerals, which may contaminate the natural water systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and possible mobilization of the base metals Ni, Zn, Cu, Co, Fe, and Mn, potentially toxic metals As, Pb, Cr, and Cd, as well as the radioactive elements U-238 and Th-232, in samples collected from the Rautuvaara mining area. The collected samples included water samples from the mining area and its surroundings and four types of solid samples: enrichment sand samples from the tailings, sediment samples from the old settling pond, waste rock samples from the old mining area and acidic pond sand samples from the area of the tailings affected by AMD. Measuring the total concentrations of metals and radionuclides in solid sample materials is not enough to understand the mobility and bioavailability of different elements and for this purpose a six-step sequential extraction procedure, with progressively increasing leaching reagents, was applied for all the solid samples. This was done in order to access the geochemical association of metals and radionuclides in the solid samples. The studied fractions were the exchangeable fraction I (pH 7,8), exchangeable fraction II (pH 5,0), mild acid-soluble fraction (pH 4,1), reducible fraction (pH 2,0), oxidizable fraction (pH 1,5) and strong acid-soluble fraction (pH 0). Gamma ray spectrometry was used to determine the total concentrations of radionuclides in the solid samples. The metal concentrations in the leaching supernatants and water samples from the mining area were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Furthermore, the behaviour of the mineral composition in the samples during extraction was studied by using Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Powder Diffraction (SR-XRPD) and by applying the Rietveld method for the acquired data. Water analysis showed the metal concentrations in the settling pond and downstream river samples are comparable to the typical levels of the area, aside from slightly elevated base metal and uranium concentrations. The highest metal and radionuclide concentrations were seen in the acidic pond waters. Gamma ray spectrometry showed that the highest activity concentrations of U-238, Ra-226 and Pb-210 were found in the sediment samples. In the sequential extractions the total amounts of leached metals were in order of: enrichment sand, sediment, acidic pond sand and waste rock. The overall trend is that the highest amounts of metals are leached out in the oxidizable and strong acid-soluble fractions, indicating that the elements are tightly bound to the sample matrix. The dissolution of thorium and uranium was different: thorium mainly dissolved in the strong acid-soluble fraction, whereas uranium started dissolving in the mild acid-soluble fraction as the pH of the solution decreased. The sequential extraction test showed that the mobilization between the enrichment sand and acidic pond sand had been altered, possibly as an effect of AMD. The SR-XRPD data showed that the samples mainly consisted of albite, dolomite and quartz. A complete dissolution of dolomite, bassanite and calcite was seen, as well as a partial attack on pyrrhotite and pyrite, during the extractions. Also, gypsum formation happened in the mild acid-soluble leaching step as the pH decreased during the extractions. The results can be used to evaluate the possible hazards the occurring metals and radionuclides pose to the surrounding environment and they also give a reference point of contamination for the future, if the use of the old tailings area continues

Behaviour of Metals during Bioheap Leaching at the Talvivaara Mine, Finland

The behaviour of base metals Ni, Zn, Cu, Co, Fe, and Mn, potentially toxic metals Pb, Cr, and Cd, and the radioactive elements, U and Th, in the Talvivaara mining process, Finland has been studied by tracing metal concentrations from the black schist ore, through ores subjected to bioheap leaching of varying duration, to pregnant leach solution (PLS), and solid process waste material deposited on site in gypsum waste ponds. It is apparent that Zn, Cu, Co, and Cd are leached from the ore in a similar manner and recovered efficiently in the PLS; however, Ni, though leached, was also found in the gypsum pond at relatively high concentrations. Relatively little Pb is released from the ore, but the small fraction that is mobilised accumulates in the gypsum pond. Of the radioactive constituents, Th is essentially immobile, whereas U is readily leached from the ore, again accumulating in gypsum pond waste. In addition, a laboratory-based sequential leach test was applied to assess the future leaching potential of metals from residual ore and process waste material under different environmental conditions.Peer reviewe

Regulatory control of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in the Nordic countries : Report from working group Nordic NAT

Radiological risks associated with naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) have been fully recognized in recent decades, and hence, resulted in the integration of NORM radiation protection requirements within the EU Directive 2013/59 and IAEA BSS (2014). Still, it has been internationally emphasized that NORM-related knowledge gaps and uncertainties might present issues in coping with the existing regulatory requirements during their transposition and implementation into national legislations and regulatory frameworks. Therefore, NORM is one of the main subjects in the recently formed Nordic working group on natural ionizing radiation (WG Nordic[1]Nat). NORM regulatory approaches for radiation protection control, possibilities for collaboration, scientific projects and joint research, monitoring programmes, communication issues, etc. are considered within the group, based on the defined mandate. The current report is a result of the first joint WG Nordic-Nat activity related to NORM, and it provides an overview of national legislations, regulatory approaches and practices concerning NORM across Nordic countries i.e., Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Denmark, Finland and Sweden are member states of the European Union (EU), and hence, the Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom (EU BSS) containing NORM specific requirements has been adopted and implemented in the legislation of these countries. Although Norway and Iceland are not member states of the EU, and thus not bound by the EU BSS, legislation and regulatory approaches for NORM have also been developed in these countries according to the international standards and specific country circumstances. Both differences and similarities related to the legislation, adopted regulatory control approaches for handling of NORM in the industries, NORM waste management and disposal as well as for environmental discharge control have been seen across Nordic countries, and are presented in this report. Furthermore, a provided description of the approahes in regulatory control of NORM-processing industries, NORM waste and pollution in the Nordic countries allows an identification of the common interest for NORM specific issues. The potential topics for future WG Nordic-Nat collaboration have been identified as (a) use of dose criteria for exemption and clearance of NORM and NORM industries from notification and authorization; (b) safety and environmental assessments for radioactive NORM waste disposal and discharge; (c) regulatory control of multi[1]contaminants in NORM waste; (d) environmental monitoring in NORM processing industries and disposal sites; (e) inspections in facilities involving NORM; (f) NORM legacy sites and remediation; (g) stakeholder engagement and risk communication in NORM; (h) transboundary movement of NORM waste for disposal and NORM contaminated materials for processing, and finally, (i) potential update of Nordic flag book - publication “Naturally Occurring Radiation in the Nordic Countries (Recommendations, 2000)

Mielekäs arki -kurssi mielenterveyskuntoutujille

Mielenterveyspalvelujen kysyntä on Suomessa lisääntynyt merkittävästi. Mielenterveyspalveluja tuottavat pääasiassa kunnat ja sairaanhoitopiirit, mutta myös järjestöjen ja yksityisten palveluntuottajien rooli on merkittävä. Järjestöt tuottavat pääasiassa asumiseen ja arjen tukemiseen liittyvää toimintaa sekä erityisryhmiä tukevaa toimintaa. Mielenterveyskuntoutujat ovat yksi näistä erityisryhmistä. Tämän hetkisessä mielenterveyspolitiikassa on huomattavissa visio, jonka mukaan asiakkaiden tulee saada hoitoa ja kuntoutusta omassa elinympäristössään. Lisäksi hoidon tulee perustua asiakkaiden henkilökohtaisiin tarpeisiin, voimavaroihin ja tavoitteisiin. Mielenterveyspalveluissa kiinnitetään entistä enemmän huomiota osallisuuden vahvistamiseen, tarjoamalla yhteisöpohjaista hoitoa, asumista ja toimintaa. Opinnäytetyöprojektillamme halusimme tukea kolmannen sektorin toimintaa. Työelämän yhteistyökumppaniksi valikoitui Mielenvireys ry, jonka toiminnan tarkoituksena on aktivoida ja yhdistää psyykkisistä häiriöistä kuntoutuvia henkilöitä Oulun alueella. Toiminnan tavoitteena on mielenterveyskuntoutujien toimintakyvyn ylläpitäminen, syrjäytymisen ehkäisy sekä aseman parantaminen yhteiskunnassa vertaistuen keinoin. Nämä tavoitteet koimme myös itse ajankohtaisiksi ja tärkeiksi tulevina mielenterveystyön ammattilaisina. Opinnäytetyömme tulostavoitteeksi muodostui Mielekäs arki –kurssin järjestäminen mielenterveyskuntoutujille. Halusimme kurssin sisällön liittyvän arkeen, koska arki on olennainen osa jokaisen elämää. Kohderyhmään tutustuttuamme kokosimme kurssipäiville keskeiset arjen mielekkyyteen vaikuttavat asiat. Halusimme tarjota osallistujille kurssilla vertaistukea, luotettavaa ja ajantasaista tietoa, keskustelua sekä toiminnallisia harjoituksia. Teoriaosuuksien tukena käytimme molemmilla kerroilla PowerPoint –esityksiä. Lisäksi osallistujien toiveesta kokosimme kurssi-päivistä kirjallisen materiaalipaketin, joka jäi osallistujille. Projektimme tavoitteena oli tarjota mielenterveyskuntoutujille lisää voimavaroja ja vertaistukea arjessa selviytymiseen sekä auttaa heitä löytämään jo olemassa olevia voimavaroja. Opinnäyte-työprojektille asetetut tavoitteet täyttyivät erittäin hyvin. Tavoitteiden täyttymistä arvioimme suullisen palautteen ja palautelomekkeiden perusteella, jotka osallistujat olivat täyttäneet viimeisen kerran lopuksi. Osallistujat pitivät kurssia erittäin hyödyllisenä ja onnistuneena.The demand for the mental health services in Finland has increased considerably. The mental health services are produced mainly by the municipalities and hospital districts but also the role of the organisations and private service providers is significant. The organisations produce activi-ty which is mainly related to living and supporting everyday life and special groups. Mental health rehabilitees are one of these special groups. The present mental health policy has a noticeable vision according to which the customers have to get care and rehabilitation in their own living environment. Furthermore, the care has to be based on the customers' personal needs, reserves of strength and objectives. By offering community based care, living and activity, the mental health services is paying even more attention to strengthening the rehabilitees' possibilities of being part of something. With our project we wanted to support the operations of the third sector. We chose Mielenvireys ry to be the partner in our project. The purpose of the company's activity is to activate and con-nect persons who are being rehabilitated from mental disorders in area of Oulu. The objectives of the activity are to maintain the rehabilitees' ability to function, prevent social exclusion and im-prove their status with the methods of peer support. Also we as future mental health care profes-sionals considered these objectives current and important. Our project's main target was to arrange the Meaningful everyday life -course for mental health rehabilitees. We wanted the course to contain subjects which are related to everyday life because it is an essential part of each person's living. After getting acquainted with our target group, we collected the most important subjects related to meaningful everyday life for the course days. We wanted to offer peer support, reliable and current information, conversation and functional exer-cises for the participants. During both course days we used PowerPoint presentations to support the theoretical part. Furthermore, the participants hoped for a written package of the course mate-rials, so we collected the packages and gave them to each participant after the course. The purpose of our project was to offer the rehabilitees more reserves of strength and peer sup-port on managing everyday life and help them to find strengths that already exist. The objectives set for the project became fulfilled extremely well. We estimated the fulfilling of our objectives by oral and written feedback which the participants gave us in the end of the last course day. For written feedback we created a specific form. The participants considered the course very useful and successful