Abstract
129I concentration levels in uranium deposits are not well investigated for the purpose of studying the potential influence of uranium mine on surrounding surface environment. This work presents the concentrations of 127I, 129I, and uranium in ore and soil samples from a uranium deposit in northwest China. 129I concentration is 110 × 105 atoms/g in the ore sample, while the concentration is two orders of magnitude lower than the level of 129I found in the soil sample collected in the deposit. A significant in-situ enrichment of 129I is found in the ore based on an estimation from 129I/U ratio, which is likely attributed to strong absorption of iodine onto iron and manganese oxides. 129I concentrations in the soil samples outside the deposit area were comparable to that in ore sample, but 2–3 orders of magnitude greater than the soil sample collected from the deposit. The results show that 129I in the surrounding surface environment is not related to the uranium deposit and suggest that 129I in this studied area has other artificial sources.
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