Non-Traditional Utilization of Uranium Deposits After Underground Mining Completion

In the course of the development and exploitation of particular uranium deposits, the chemism of mine waters changes depending upon the extent of infiltration area, the total volume of worked-out mineral, its mineralogical composition and also the achieved depth of mining. In the course of flooding the underground mine after its closure many important changes occur in the content of dissolved substances in waters that increases several times (uranium, radium, iron, and others). Mine waters of flooded former uranium mines thus represent, with reference to their considerable volumes, a significant source of uranium. The paper presents the partial results of running research project dealing with possibilities of the intensive utilisation of mine waters from flooded uranium mines as a source of uranium with an accompanying effect of shortening the time necessary for the purification of mine waters discharged into watercourses.