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Published in:
2006 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
Lead isotope ratios as a tracer for contaminated waters from uranium mining and milling
Authors : Henk Coetzee, Mari Rademeyer
Published in: Uranium in the Environment
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
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The elevated uranium concentrations of the ores of the Witwatersrand and the great age of the deposits have resulted in the development of extremely radiogenic lead isotope ratios. These ratios are reflected in the wastes and effluents generated by mining activities and may be used for the identification and tracing of Witwatersrand-sourced contamination. Fine sediments act as accumulators of heavy metals in the streams and rivers downstream of mining activities. Analysis of the lead isotopic compositions of these sediments can be used to identify and apportion the sources of this contamination.