Ventilation Shaft Research Articles

Investigating the opportunity for cooling the London underground through waste heat recovery

Recovering waste heat from urban infrastructures is becoming increasingly important as the UK strives to decarbonise heat, which remains one of the main challenges in the transition towards net zero. The Bunhill Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) System represents a first of its kind scheme that will recover waste energy from a ventilation shaft of the London Underground (LU) transport network. The system is based upon the installation of a heat recovery heat exchanger that consists of cooling coils and a reversible fan. The coils are connected to a heat pump that supplies low-carbon thermal energy to the Bunhill Heat Network in Central London. One particularly important aspect of the Bunhill WHR system is its ability to operate in a way that not only provides heating to the local heat network, but can also simultaneously supply cooled air to the LU tunnels depending on the operation of the reversible fan. The current paper estimates the potential cooling benefit that could be achieved with the WHR system based upon the development of a mathematical model. The model is able to predict the condition of the coil surface according to air inlet parameters, and this is used to calculate the latent and sensible cooling loads, which are applied to simulate how the system affects the local tunnel environment, with peak temperature reductions of up to 7.2 K being estimated for adjacent stations in 2030. The results from the investigation are presented together with recommendations for further development and future deployment of heat recovery from metro systems, as this technology could be applied across London and elsewhere to deliver significant carbon and cost savings while improving the thermal environment of railway tunnels. Practical Application This work investigates the cooling potential behind a practical project that involves recovering waste heat from the LU network. As electrification leads to an increased deployment of heat pump and district heating systems, waste heat could become a valuable resource for maximising energy efficiency, even more so when additional cooling benefits can be achieved. This paper aims to explore the impacts of cooling on railway tunnels, emphasising how secondary benefits, which are many times overlooked, could be critical to making waste heat recovery economically feasible, maximising its potential as a key technology for decarbonising heat.

Experimental study on transient pressure induced by high-speed train passing through an underground station with adjoining tunnels

Transient pressure variations on train and platform screen door (PSD) surfaces when a high-speed train passed through an underground station and adjoining tunnel were studied using a moving model test device based on the eight-car formation train model. The propagation characteristics of the pressure wave that was induced when the train passed through the station and tunnel at a high speed were discussed, and the effects of the train speed and station ventilation shaft position on the surface pressure distribution of the train and PSDs were analyzed and compared. The results showed that the pressure fluctuation law is different for the train and PSD surfaces, and the peak pressure increases significantly with an increase in the train speed. Ventilation shafts changed the pressure waveform on the surface of the train and PSDs and greatly reduced the peak pressure. A single shaft at the rear end of the platform and a double shaft at the station had the most significant effect on relieving transient pressure on the surface of the train and PSDs, respectively. Compared with the case with no shaft, these two shafts reduced the maximum amplitude pressure variation of the train and PSD surfaces by 46.3% and 67.4%, respectively.

Optimizing the Performance of Vertically-Mounted Jet Fans in Ventilation Shafts

Optimizing the Performance of Vertically-Mounted Jet Fans in Ventilation Shafts

Impact of shaft design to thermal comfort and indoor air quality of floors using BIM technology

When studying Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in commercial buildings by conducting Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, the solution domain usually includes studied rooms or floor volumes only. The air shafts connected to the studied room and floor were rarely considered. Previous studies, which focused on analysis and simulation of air movement inside ventilation and exhaust shafts, seldom considered how the corresponding air movement affects the connected floors. Field measurement cannot be conducted in inaccessible tenant areas to support CFD simulations. The current practice to calculate solar heat load and distribution for CFD simulation with surrounding buildings included is computationally expensive. The objective of this study is to develop a methodology to investigate how velocity variations along the fresh air shafts affect thermal comfort and IAQ of multiple floors under limited obtainable field measurements. Steady-state CFD simulations were conducted on fresh air shafts and office floors of a typical commercial building. Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology was applied to create models to represent the geometry of fresh air shafts and office floors accurately. In addition, BIM technology not only supports CFD simulations but also provides geometric, semantic and location information for solar analysis. The CFD results were validated using measured results. The impact of shaft design changes on the ventilation performance of the shaft and the indoor air quality on the floors was investigated using validated models. In the case of dividing the shafts into two parts, the overall fresh air distribution, thermal comfort and indoor air quality were improved.

Development of Mining Assets in the Mining Industry

In practice, the industry and the business sector have felt the impact of the coronavirus that has spread around the world. Today it is not known when the system will recover, but it is already quite clear that the post-covid reality will require radically new approaches to the organization of mining operations. Usually, the conservative mining industry in Russia has felt the influence of new trends set by the pandemic, such as, for example, the transition of employees to remote work, which has spurred an accelerated transition to automated work; a change in the distribution chain, are inseparable from the closure of borders, the acquisition of new skills from staff, and others. This article focuses on the development of mining assets in the mining industry. The article concretizes the essence of geometry. Appropriate solutions for end-to-end optimization of the “mine-factory” system are outlined due to a deep understanding of the characteristics of the ore and the introduction of digital tools. The most popular innovations necessary for implementation into the modern mining process have been identified, ranked according to the categories “Production materials, technologies and equipment”, “Automation and digitalization”, “Field development”, “Technologies of deep processing of raw materials: green chemistry”, “Technologies of deep processing “processing of raw materials: green metallurgy”. The production assets of the Polar Division are analyzed using the example of PJSC Mining and Metallurgical Company Norilsk Nickel. As a project initiative to improve the efficiency of ore mining within the mine field, the reconstruction of a skip ventilation shaft from a cage to a skip-cage is being created. A variant of solving the geomechanical problems of the company is being considered.

Dynamic Characteristics and Damage Constitutive Model of Mudstone under Impact Loading.

The mechanical response characteristics of mudstone from the ingate roadway of the west ventilation shaft in Yuandian No. 2 coal mine, Huaibei City, Anhui Province, China to dynamic loads were quantified in single- and cyclic-impact compression tests, using the split-Hopkinson pressure bar test device. The dynamic stress–strain relationships and the failure characteristics of mudstone samples under different impact loads were analyzed systematically. Considering the “rate effect” of the mudstone dynamic strength, the dynamic strength criterion of mudstone was proposed, and the dynamic damage constitutive model of mudstone was established, based on the statistical damage theory. In response to single-impact loads, with increasing impact pressure, the mudstone peak stress and strain gradually increased, and the peak stress and average strain rate increased nonlinearly. In response to cyclic-impact loads, with an increasing number of impacts, the mudstone peak stress first increased and then decreased, and the peak strain increased gradually. With increasing impact pressure, the number of impacts to the samples’ failure decreased gradually. By parameter identification and comparative analysis of the test results, the proposed dynamic damage constitutive model of mudstone was validated. The model can be used for stability analysis of roadway-surrounding rock under dynamic loads.

Безопасность реверсирования воздушного потока в вентиляционных стволах шахт в холодное время года при отсутствии подогрева

Modern mining enterprises engaged in development of the minerals are located in the regions of different conditions including in the regions of the Far North. For reducing the capital and operating costs, the management of these enterprises strives to optimize the technological processes for the raw materials extraction. These processes include ventilation of the underground mines. One of the ways to reduce capital costs in the mines with a flanking ventilation system is not to use the air heaters on the ventilation shafts due to their remoteness from the main industrial site of the mine and air supply shafts. In emergency conditions, when it is required to reverse the ventilation stream, the situations may arise when cold air starts flowing into the underground workings of the mine. The effect of negative temperatures of the air stream during reversal can have negative consequences associated with disruption of the operation of technological equipment, support of the ventilation shafts, and, also, affect the well-being and health of the miners during their evacuation. In this regard, it is required to conduct research on the thermophysical processes arising from the reversal of the ventilation stream, and to develop the appropriate preventive measures. The results of a study of the reverse mode of the mine ventilation in cold season in the absence of heating of the air stream entering the ventilation shaft are presented. Mathematical modeling was performed concerning change in the air temperature in the mine workings during reversal using AeroSet program. The main hazardous factors affecting the reversal of the air stream are highlighted, and the required measures are proposed aimed at compensating the negative consequences of the effect of cold air on the support and equipment in the shaft during ventilation.

Reduced-scale experimental and numerical investigation on the energy and smoke control performance of natural ventilation systems in a high-rise atrium

Natural ventilation (NV) is an effective energy-saving strategy to remove the excessive heat in high-rise atria. The traditional NV system in high-rise atria has inlet openings at the bottom and outlet openings at the top. However, this traditional system may bring fire safety concerns due to the rapid spread of smoke during an atrium fire. To remove the fire safety concern, a new NV system was proposed in this study. This new system applies a segmentation slab to divide the high-rise atrium into upper and lower parts, which can limit the smoke movement. A ventilation shaft is installed to maintain the NV rate and extract smoke. To investigate the energy and smoke control performance of the new and traditional NV systems, a 1:20 small-scale experimental model and CFD numerical model were built. The results indicate that the new NV system with the shaft and segmentation can remove more heat than the traditional NV system. Furthermore, the new NV system can simplify the mechanical smoke exhaust system and improve the smoke control performance, e.g., requires a lower volumetric flow rate and maintains a thinner smoke layer.

Efficiency Possibilities of Energy Management of Apartment Building – Use Case

In this paper we are assessing the aspect of ecological renovation of typical apartment building in Slovakia from energy, ecology and user comfort point of view. For increase in energy efficiency of the building we propose to install photovoltaics on the roof and south facing façade with capacity of 45k Wp, heat pumps for utilization of waste heat from the building's sewage system and waste heat from ventilation shafts with total capacity of 50 kWp, external window shading for east, west and south facing façades, green roof and ceiling cooling for apartment units. The complex renovation represents a positive benefit not only from the user, energy and environmental point of view, but also economical.

СУЧАСНИЙ СТАН МЕХАНООЗБРОЄНОСТІ ГІРНИЧОРЯТУВАЛЬНОЇ (АВАРІЙНО-РЯТУВАЛЬНОЇ) СЛУЖБИ ТА ЙОГО ЗНАЧЕННЯ У ПІДВИЩЕННІ БЕЗПЕКИ ПРАЦІ ГІРНИКІВ

Purpose. To obtain reasonable characteristics of mobile means of mine-rescue equipment used in emergencies in underground mining to deliver it to the scene and evacuate injured personnel, which comprehensively increases efficiency and safety of work of both rescuers and miners. Methodology. Analysis of literary sources, technical documentation and the practice of using mining rescue equipment in the conditions of underground mining. Results. The analysis of the physical (energy) losses of rescuers during reconnaissance, emergency rescue operations, liquidation of the consequences of accidents, and the conducted research have allowed us to determine the technical characteristics of mobile means for delivering mine rescue equipment to the accident site and evacuating the victims of the accident through horizontal and vertical mine workings. The performed works have made it possible significantly increase the level of emergency protection of mining enterprises and occupational safety of miners, facilitate the work of personnel and, ultimately, the improve efficiency and reliability of the entire mining rescue service. Scientific novelty. The article proves that only a comprehensive approach to the development of mobile mining rescue equipment can provide an effective technological solution in the development of such equipment. Practical significance. Special vehicles developed for mining rescue units are suitable for operation in underground mining conditions. New technical solutions make it possible to transport rescue equipment in horizontal and vertical mines, which saves time and the health of mine rescuers. Developed and tested emergency and rescue technical means intended for mechanization during emergency and rescue operations in vertical shafts of mines, as well as during the performance by mine rescuers of technological works related to the inspection of the condition, for example, of ventilation shafts of mines that are not equipped with mechanized lifts. The reception commission confirmed the functionality of the developed equipment, its compliance with its intended purpose, and recommended the developed equipment for mass implementation both at enterprises and in units of the paramilitary mining and rescue service.

A review of piston effect and energy saving of subway environmental control system

The piston effect and piston wind generated by subway train operation are closely related to the energy consumption of subway environmental control system. With the rapid development of subway industry, under the premise of meeting the needs of passengers, using piston wind to reduce station energy consumption has become one of the focuses of current research. This paper collects and sorts out the domestic and foreign literature related to the piston effect. Firstly, the relevant information of piston effect and subway environmental control system is summarized and analyzed. Secondly, the utilization strategy of piston wind is emphasized in this paper. These strategies are mainly related to the design of ventilation shaft, the speed of train, the selection of platform door and the installation of door curtain. Reasonable use of these strategies can reduce energy consumption for the station. Finally, the utilization principle of piston wind was proposed in this review. When the piston wind meets the demand, the piston ventilation should be a priority choice, compared with mechanical ventilation. Evaluating whether the piston wind meets the needs of use, mainly through these parameters as the judgment basis, such as air volume, temperature and humidity, carbon dioxide concentration and particle concentration.

ОБ ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ ОБСТАНОВКЕ НА ТЕРРИТОРИИ СВИНОКОМПЛЕКСА «ОСКОЛЬСКИЙ БЕКОН-3»

On the example of LLC "Agroindustrial Complex "Promagro", a list of biological preparations used in the Belgorod region to reduce unpleasant odors from manure effluents has been compiled. In this work, measurements of the content of harmful substances and the level of odors in pig fattening workshops and on the emission of ventilation shafts of pig-breeding complex buildings were carried out: concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NO2), sulfur oxide (SO2), methane (CH4), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3), as well as the level of odors in the territories adjacent to the pig complex. The calculation of the dispersion of emissions of harmful and odorous substances in the territories (GOST R 58578-2019 Rules for the establishment of standards and control of emissions into the atmosphere) showed the need to introduce odor destructors into the manure intake baths. In the Belgorod region, the following biological destructors are used at various pig breeding complexes: "Embionic" "Bactofor-3", "Sanvit-K", "Sanvit-K-forte", "Doctor Robik LGN 050", "UBP Bius", "Ecomik Pro V". Among the enterprises actively using "Baktofor-3" is LLC "APK "Promagro", defined as the base. A comparative characteristic of the effectiveness of the drugs was carried out, the optimal concentrations of drugs for the introduction of manure into the baths were determined.

Quantification of CH<sub>4</sub> coal mining emissions in Upper Silesia by passive airborne remote sensing observations with the Methane Airborne MAPper (MAMAP) instrument during the CO<sub>2</sub> and Methane (CoMet) campaign

Abstract. Methane (CH4) is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, whose atmospheric concentration is modulated by human-induced activities, and it has a larger global warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO2). Because of its short atmospheric lifetime relative to that of CO2, the reduction of the atmospheric abundance of CH4 is an attractive target for short-term climate mitigation strategies. However, reducing the atmospheric CH4 concentration requires a reduction of its emissions and, therefore, knowledge of its sources. For this reason, the CO2 and Methane (CoMet) campaign in May and June 2018 assessed emissions of one of the largest CH4 emission hot spots in Europe, the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) in southern Poland, using top-down approaches and inventory data. In this study, we will focus on CH4 column anomalies retrieved from spectral radiance observations, which were acquired by the 1D nadir-looking passive remote sensing Methane Airborne MAPper (MAMAP) instrument, using the weighting-function-modified differential optical absorption spectroscopy (WFM-DOAS) method. The column anomalies, combined with wind lidar measurements, are inverted to cross-sectional fluxes using a mass balance approach. With the help of these fluxes, reported emissions of small clusters of coal mine ventilation shafts are then assessed. The MAMAP CH4 column observations enable an accurate assignment of observed fluxes to small clusters of ventilation shafts. CH4 fluxes are estimated for four clusters with a total of 23 ventilation shafts, which are responsible for about 40 % of the total CH4 mining emissions in the target area. The observations were made during several overflights on different days. The final average CH4 fluxes for the single clusters (or sub-clusters) range from about 1 to 9 t CH4 h−1 at the time of the campaign. The fluxes observed at one cluster during different overflights vary by as much as 50 % of the average value. Associated errors (1σ) are usually between 15 % and 59 % of the average flux, depending mainly on the prevailing wind conditions, the number of flight tracks, and the magnitude of the flux itself. Comparison to known hourly emissions, where available, shows good agreement within the uncertainties. If only emissions reported annually are available for comparison with the observations, caution is advised due to possible fluctuations in emissions during a year or even within hours. To measure emissions even more precisely and to break them down further for allocation to individual shafts in a complex source region such as the USCB, imaging remote sensing instruments are recommended.

Quantifying methane emissions from coal mining ventilation shafts using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based active AirCore system

A large quantity of CH4 is emitted to the atmosphere via ventilation shafts of underground coal mines. According to the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR), hard coal mines in the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (USCB) are a strong contributor (447 kt CH4 in 2017) to the annual European CH4 emissions. However, atmospheric emissions of CH4 from coal mines are poorly characterized, as they are dispersed over large areas. As part of the Carbon Dioxide and CH4 Mission (CoMet) pre-campaign, a study of the USCB's regional CH4 emissions took place in August 2017. We flew a recently developed active AirCore system aboard an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to obtain CH4 mole fractions downwind of a single coal mining ventilation shaft. Besides CH4, we also measured CO2, CO, atmospheric temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. Wind-speed and wind-direction measurements were made using a lightweight balloon-borne radiosonde. Fifteen UAV flights were performed flying perpendicular to the wind direction at several altitude levels, to effectively build a ‘curtain’ of CH4 mole fractions in a two-dimensional plane at a distance between 150 and 350 m downwind of a single ventilation shaft. Furthermore, we have developed an inverse Gaussian approach for quantifying CH4 emissions from a point source using the UAV-based observations, and have applied it as well as the mass balance approach to both simulated data and actual flight data to quantify CH4 emissions. The simulated data experiments revealed the importance of having multiple transects at different altitudes, appropriate vertical spacing between the individual transects, and proper distance between the center height of the plume and the center flight transect. They also showed that the inverse Gaussian approach performed better than the mass balance approach. Our estimate of the CH4 emission rates from the sampled shaft ranges from 0.5 to 14.5 kt/year using a mass balance approach, and between 1.1 and 9.0 kt/year using an inverse Gaussian method. The average difference between the mass balance and the inverse Gaussian approach was 2.3 kt/year. Based on the observed correlation between CO2 and CH4 (R-squared > 0.69), the CO2 emissions from the shaft were estimated to be between 0.3 and 9.8 kt/year. This study demonstrates that the UAV-based active AirCore system provides an effective way of quantifying coal mining shaft emissions of CH4 and CO2.

Defining of the required parameters of the main fans on the ventilation shaft for the target model of the hard coal mine Y in connection with its decommissioning

The article presents the results of the analysis and calculations of the ventilation network of the decommissioned hard coal mine Y for the model of its target operation. After the end of hard coal mining and the liquidation of most of the mining excavations, the former Y hard coal mine will become an element of the drainage system and a protection for other, still active mining plants. In order for the Y excavation to be transformed into a mine water pumping station, its ventilation system should be rebuilt, and new parameters of the main fan should be determined for a smaller network of mining excavations. For this purpose, using the AERO-2016D program by POK “Zachód” Spółka z o.o., the parameters of the ventilation network were simulated in the target model of mine Y after the liquidation of the “Southern” shaft and mining excavations at levels 530m and 660m. The results of the simulation made it possible to select the optimal main fans for the target model of the transformed mine Y.

Exploring the Feasibility of Ventilation without Shafts for an Ultralong Subsea Tunnel in the Bohai Strait Channel

The Bohai Strait Channel (BSC) is a strategic infrastructure project connecting the Shandong Peninsula and northeastern China. One challenge related to building the BSC tunnel portion is that ventilation shafts cannot be constructed due to certain limitations, which leads to a barrier for ventilation design. To explore the feasibility of ventilation without shafts, we first compare the tunnel ventilation design methods in China and the European Union. We also present the development process of emission standards, base emission rates, and design concentration values. Then, a new ventilation calculation for the BSC tunnel with reference values from the World Road Association (PIARC) is presented. The results show that the longitudinal ventilation design without shafts is feasible under normal traffic conditions when adopting values designed by PIARC under both the Chinese method and the European method. Furthermore, the influence of new energy vehicles and the necessity of ventilation rate on ventilation design are discussed. We suggest considering new energy vehicle fire situations and ignoring the ventilation rate for BSC tunnels. We hope to provide a strong reference for the ventilation design of BSC tunnels and for the improvement of relative ventilation codes in China.

Protective Effects of Ventilation Shaft in Tunnel Structures Subjected to Internal Blast Loading

Terrorist attacks on tunnels result in massive economic and societal losses. A new approach to simulate blast loading using LS-DYNA was introduced to investigate the influence of ventilation shaft on circular cast-iron tunnels in saturated soil subjected to internal blast loading. The combined effect of reduced blast pressure and modified lining vibration characteristics was observed to depend on the magnitude of blast loading. Ventilation helped to mitigate lining damage when the blast loading was low. Thus, ventilation shaft could be used as an effective mitigation method for tunnels.

Evaluation of fire smoke control in underground space

The main goal of the fire management strategy is to avoid people interaction with fire hazards, therefore several studies are carried out for optimal escape route planning as well as smoke management and mechanical ventilation design. Underground spaces are a special case of study due to their technical characteristics that create different fire spread conditions compared to conventional buildings. In this paper, a comparative study on the fire smoke propagation is carried out taking into account the use and performance of smoke mitigation techniques. The Underground Hazardous Waste Management Repository of Lavrion Technological and Cultural Park in Greece, is selected as a case study to achieve the paper objectives. A Computer Fluid Dynamic software is used to simulate various fire scenarios based on the specific characteristics of the underground space. Parameters that have significant impact on evacuation procedure and human health such as visibility and carbon monoxide concentration are monitored. Finally, the results are presented and an evaluation method is proposed based on evacuation simulation results, in order to predict the impact of the smoke control design on the conditions inside the underground space. The results reveal that the ventilation shaft (passive system) offers an effective smoke control without any other combined control system and that the installation of smoke curtains, which are activated on time, offers significant improvement on smoke spread control extending the available egress time (ASET) in case of fire.

Early Neolithic Innovation: Ventilation Systems and the Built Environment

ABSTRACT A wide range of rapid innovations are associated with the shift from mobile communities to sedentism in southwestern Asia. It was during this period that human societies generated many solutions designed to overcome the challenges of local environments, including the first long-lasting built environments, while adapting to life in year-round permanent settlements. The technological innovations that went hand in hand with these socio-economic changes improved the lives of the inhabitants of these communities, defining the period as a time of techno-cultural revolutions. Along with the domestication of plants and animals, houses became domestic spaces. Several characteristics of today’s architectural technology originated during this period. The paper discusses one of the architectural innovations of the Neolithic period, “ventilation shafts,” at one of the earliest settlements in central Anatolia, Aşıklı Höyük.

Exploration geochemistry of surficial media over the high-grade McArthur River uranium deposit, Saskatchewan, Canada

ABSTRACT An orientation survey using surficial media was performed over the high-grade McArthur River unconformity-related U deposit (Saskatchewan, Canada) to test whether or not secondary dispersion of elements related to the ore body or alteration zone can be detected at the surface more than 500 m above the deposit. Organic-rich Ah-horizon soils, Fe-rich B-horizon soils, C-horizon soils, tree cores of Jack pine (Pinus banksiana), and glacially dispersed boulders of Manitou Falls Formation sandstone that host the U deposit were collected in four sampling grids near the mine site. Two of the grids overlaid the trace of the P2 fault that hosts the deposit and extends nearly to the surface, one grid overlaid both the P2 fault and one of the high-grade ore bodies (Zone 4), and one grid was located 2.5 km away from the ore body surface trace in the barren hanging wall of the P2 fault. The grid overlying the Zone 4 ore body had the highest proportion of samples with elevated U and low 207Pb/206Pb ratios, the latter indicative of radiogenic Pb from a high-U source, measured in two size fractions of Ah-horizon soils using Na pyrophosphate leach, pine tree cores using total digestion, and sandstone boulders using 2% HNO3 leach. A handful of pathfinder elements, such as As, Co, Ni, and Pb, are variably associated with the U and radiogenic Pb. Sandstone boulders with an assemblage of dravite + kaolinite ± illite, determined using shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectroscopy and matching the alteration mineralogy in the Manitou Falls Formation above the U deposit, were prevalent in the grid above the Zone 4 ore body and in the adjacent grid in the direction of glacial dispersion. A coarse fraction of the B-horizon soils, leached with 5% HNO3, highlighted the grid above the Zone 4 ore body to a lesser extent, whereas HNO3 leaches and aqua regia digests of C-horizon soil separates did not highlight the P2 fault or ore body trace due to influence by parent till mineralogy. Results of environmental monitoring at the mine site, which was active at the time of sampling, suggest that dust containing U, Pb, and radionuclides from waste rock piles and a ventilation shaft could influence A-horizon soil geochemistry near the mine site, and that U and radiogenic Pb anomalies in B- and C-horizon soils near the water table are close to a treated mine effluent discharge point. However, older trees that record elevated U and radiogenic Pb in annual rings that pre-date mining activity, and alteration mineralogy and geochemistry of boulders that are less susceptible to the influences of mining activity, add confidence that the geochemical anomaly in diverse surficial media above the Zone 4 ore body represents secondary dispersion from the underlying U deposit.