A soil radiological quality guideline value for wildlife-based protection in uranium mine rehabilitation.

A soil guideline value for radiological protection of the environment was determined for the impending rehabilitation of Ranger uranium mine in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia. The guideline value was 1000 Bq kg(-1) of (226)Ra in the proposed waste rock substrate of the rehabilitated landform and corresponded to an above-baseline dose rate of 100 μGy h(-1) to the most highly exposed individuals of the limiting organism. The limiting organism was reptile based on an assessment using site-specific concentration ratio data.