Mining and Its Tailing: The Environmental and Radioecological Consequent in Nigeria

Abstract

Materials of natural origin such as ore and minerals often contain high level of radioactivity caused by radionuclides of uranium and thorium series. Generally, mining operations are usually accompanied by dumping of large quantities of tailing in the environment. Tailing are rich in radioactive minerals and are dumped at close proximity. Prominent mining and milling tailing in Nigeria is as a result of several years of mining and processing of casseterite (tin ore) and (niobium ore) columbite, mining, crushing and processing of coal and phosphate rock. Of environmental importance are the tailing from mining, milling and processing of casseterite, columbite, coal and phosphate. Extraction and processing of these mineral produce tailing which are contain significant amount of radionuclide. This paper gives a review of tailing in Nigeria and it environmental impact.