Uranium dynamics at an iron ore mine site in Northern Sweden: Sources and mobility along the mine value chain.

Uranium (U) release from mining has been typically associated with former U mine sites, but trace U levels in iron or base metal ores can also lead to U mobilization into ground and surface water posing potential risks due to U's chemical toxicity and radioactivity. This study investigates U sources and mobility at an iron ore mine site in Northern Sweden, where U concentrations (median 1.8 μg/l) exceeding the Swedish annual guideline value of 0.

Early diagenesis of anthropogenic uranium in lakes receiving deep groundwater from the Kiruna mine, northern Sweden.

The uranium (U) concentrations and isotopic composition of waters and sediment cores were used to investigate the transport and accumulation of U in a water system (tailings pond, two lakes, and the Kalix River) receiving mine waters from the Kiruna mine. Concentrations of dissolved U decrease two orders of magnitude between the inflow of mine waters and in the Kalix River, while the concentration of the element bound to particulate matter increases, most likely due to sorption on iron‑manganese hydroxides and organic matter. The vertical distribution of U in the water column differs between two polluted lakes with a potential indication of dissolved U supply from sediment's pore waters at anoxic conditions.