Development of water-borne radioactive discharges at WISMUT and resulting radiation exposures

Abstract

Since 1989, collected discharges of uranium loads via the water pathway have dropped from a total of 27.5 tonnes to less than 3 tonnes in 2004. Commissioning of modern water treatment plants has greatly contributed to this achievement. Resulting site-specific effective doses to the population are significantly below 1 mSv/a. However, diffuse discharges of contaminated seepage or percolation waters from tailings ponds may cause doses in the order of 1 mSv/a. Capping operations are instrumental in reducing the diffuse discharge of radioactive effluents via the water pathway to a reasonably low level.