# Uranium mining in Spain



## Lonely (Aug 11, 2012)

Hello

Just discovered that there is uranium in Spain too.

Are these the only locations where they mine it?












I would not want to live close to any :behindsofa:


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Sorry but I don't understand your post, but that maybe because I am stupid. Lots of places on this planet have uranium. It is not dangerous. What people/governments choose to do with it might be dangerous but that's another topic. So can I ask what your point is so we can discuss it?? thanks...


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## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

The ore is not dangerous in itself, its just a type of rock called Uraninite (actually that's the mineral name) which contains the element Uranium but in a complex form. The ore needs extensive processing to extract the elemental Uranium from the substrate. No dangers involved in the natural ore itself. The only issue I can think of is that if the quarry was open cast, there may be a risk of fine dust, which may be a problem, however I believe that most Uraninite is extracted from deep mines.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Jock719 said:


> The ore is not dangerous in itself, its just a type of rock called Uraninite (actually that's the mineral name) which contains the element Uranium but in a complex form. The ore needs extensive processing to extract the elemental Uranium from the substrate. No dangers involved in the natural ore itself. The only issue I can think of is that if the quarry was open cast, there may be a risk of fine dust, which may be a problem, however I believe that most Uraninite is extracted from deep mines.


That's what 'they' want you to think :tinfoil3:


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## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

Chemical fact. Uranium Dioxide in either ore form of Uraninite or Pitchblende (the massive impure form) are inert and not radioactive.


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## Lonely (Aug 11, 2012)

thrax said:


> Sorry but I don't understand your post, but that maybe because I am stupid. Lots of places on this planet have uranium. It is not dangerous. What people/governments choose to do with it might be dangerous but that's another topic. So can I ask what your point is so we can discuss it?? thanks...


Not sure if it is dangerous but according to this documentary depleted uranium is dangerous:

Frontline Films - Blowin' in the Wind


I don't know the chemical differences between the 2 though.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Depleted Uranium is real heavy, so some wag though it would be a great idea to make shells out of the stuff as it can punch through armour plating and good deal easier than the regular kit.
Its also a handy way to get rid of the stuff as you can go to places like Iraq and fire it all over the place without any of the locals complaining.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Lonely said:


> Not sure if it is dangerous but according to this documentary depleted uranium is dangerous:
> 
> Frontline Films - Blowin' in the Wind
> 
> ...


Perhaps, as with electromagnetic radiation, it might be a good idea to read up a bit? It might allay your fears.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Lonely said:


> Not sure if it is dangerous but according to this documentary depleted uranium is dangerous:
> 
> Frontline Films - Blowin' in the Wind
> 
> ...


So is crossing the road………………………...


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## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

Most depleted uranium arises as a byproduct of the production of enriched uranium for use in nuclear reactors and in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Enrichment processes generate uranium with a higher-than-natural concentration of lower-mass uranium isotopes (in particular U-235, which is the uranium isotope supporting the fission chain reaction) with the bulk of the feed ending up as depleted uranium, in some cases with mass fractions of U-235 and U-234 less than a third of those in natural uranium. So essentially, depleted uranium is a by product of enrichment processes used to make enriched uranium for bombs and reactors. Its not nice stuff and should be avoided. It bears no resemblance at all to the natural ores Uraninite or Pitchblende.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Jock - you sound like you know a bit about this. 

Wiki says this about Uraninite 



> Uraninite is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that is largely UO2, but also contains UO3 and oxides of lead, thorium, and rare earth elements


Which slightly contradicts what you said earlier about it being inert and not radioactive.

Can you clarify?


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## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

Its inert is as much as it isn't reactive. Its radioactive about as much as granite is i.e if you were to hold a Geiger counter over a bit of uraninite, pitchblende or granite, you would detect a slightly higher than background reading due to natural radioactive elements, uranium, thorium etc and in the case of granite, radon gas produced by radioactive decay. I think the big confusion comes when people read that something is radioactive...lots of things are including watch dials (the old fashioned ones) etc. In the case of natural ores of radioactive elements, they are only slightly more radioactive than background when in their natural states. The problems come when mankind starts refining and extracting. Then the refined elements eg Uranium, become highly radioactive. (ps studied physics at Uni years ago)


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## Jock719 (Nov 7, 2013)

This is Uraninite, the most common ore of Uranium, in cae you come across it! Doesn't look very spectacular! Often occurs with Thorite, which is the natural ore of the element Thorium.


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