Wikidata:WikiProject Mineralogy/Radioactivity

Reference: yellow cake from early mining operations, e.g. c. 80% sodium diuranate (Na₂U₂O₇·6H₂O, 64.15% U); 51.32% U at c. 80% purity.

Some radioactive minerals

High ERS

% U (unit)

Some very strong ERS (10⁶ to 10⁷ gamma ray response units (more than c. 14% U, c. 3.3 mSv/(g x hr); webmineral.com): althupite (57.8% U, 8.04% Th), oxyuranobetafite (46.8% U), yttrotantalite-(Y) (20.2% U, 15.1% Y), kobeite-(Y) (17.4% U, 19.5% Y), phosphowalpurgite (17.1% U), orthowalpurgite (16.0% U), walpurgite (16.0% U).

% U or % Th equivalent (unit)

Strong ERS (10⁵ to 10⁶ gamma ray response units (more than c. 5.6% Th, c. 0.33 mSv/(g x hr); webmineral.com):

• U% series: hydroxycalciopyrochlore (12.5% U), oxynatropyrochlore (12.0% U), cleusonite (11.5% U), samarskite-(Yb) (9.2% U, 8.9% Th), oxynatromikrolite (9.0% U), mckelveyite-(Y) (5.79% U, 8.7% Y), fluornatropyrochlore (5.2% U, 0.51% Th), yttrocrasite-(Y) (3.59% U, 17.7% Y), polycrase-(Y) (3.48% U, 14.31% Y), davidite series (3.2% U, 6.7% REE), dessauite-(Y) (3.2% U, 3.6% Y), eylettersite (2.6% U, 16.9% Th), lakargiite (1.9% U, 0.74% Th), turkestanite (1.79% U, 25.6% Th).
• Th% series: thorbastnäsite (47.9% Th), grayite (43.7% Th), ekanite (0.97% U, 33.2% Th), brockite (31.6% Th), ciprianiite (30.3% Th, 6.3% REE), cerianite-(Ce) (29.7% Th), thorosteenstrupine (29.3% Th), steacyite (24.6% Th), hydroxymanganopyrochlore (24.4% Th), tuliokite (23.8% Th), thornasite (20.4% Th), umbozerite (0.34% U, 18.3% Th), britholite series (18.3% Th), monazite-(Sm) (0.55% U, 14.3% Th), vicanite-(Ce) (12.5% Th), yttrialite-(Y) (12.0% Th), piergorite-(Ce) (8.9% Th), iraqite-(La) (0.57% U, 8.4% Th), saryarkite-(Y) (6.4% Th), nioboaeschynite-(Y) (6.27% Th), zirkelite (6.1% Th), vacancy or H₂O dominant microlite, Ti-dominant pyrochlore.

Weak ERS

% REE equivalent (unit)

Weak ERS, high (66,666 to 10⁵ gamma ray response units (more than c. 3.7% Th, c. 0.22 mSv/(g x hr); webmineral.com):

• Th% series: iwashiroite-(Y) (0.76% U, 0.74% Th), cervandonite-(Ce) (3.7% Th), dissakisite series (3.8% Th), håleniusite-(La) (4.0% Th), kukharenkoite-(La) (4.1% Th), tritomite series (4.4% Th), menezesite (4.6% Th), monazite series (4.8% Th), melanocerite-(Ce) (5.1% Th), karnasurtite-(Ce) (5.3% Th).

Weak ERS, medium (33,333 to 66,666 gamma ray response units (more than c. 1.9% Th, c. 0.11 mSv/(g x hr); webmineral.com): sazhinite series (3.2% Th), zirconolite (3.6% Th), calcybeborosilite-(Y), peprossiite-(Ce), vitusite-(Ce), maoniupingite-(Ce), thomasclarkite-(Y), ancylite series, polyakovite-(Ce), gagarinite series, polezhaevaite-(Ce), remondite-(Ce), steenstrupine-(Ce), hingganite series, chevkinite-(Ce), hellandite series, gatelite-(Ce), paratooite-(La), belovite series, okanoganite-(Y), petersenite-(Ce), rhenium (100% Re), västmanlandite-(Ce), fergusonite series, coskrenite-(Ce), lucasite-(Ce), cordylite series, calcioancylite series, fergusonite-beta series, synchysite series, tundrite series, lukechangite-(Ce), lanthanite series, mottanaite-(Ce), gasparite-(Ce), galgenbergite-(Ce), röntgenite-(Ce), biraite-(Ce), sahamalite-(Ce), aluminocerite-(Ce), kozoite seriesstillwellite-(Ce), parisite series, churchite-(Y), keivite series, calkinsite-(Ce), törnebohmite series, cerite series, rhabdophane series, arisite series, percleveite-(Ce), fersmite, stetindite, bastnäsite series, xenotime series, bussyite series, hydroxylbastnäsite series, fluocerite series.

Weak ERS, low (10³ to 33,333 gamma ray response units (more than c. 0.56% Th, c. 33 μSv/(g x hr); webmineral.com): fluorkenopyrochlore (8.7% Ce), oxyyttropyrochlore-(Y) (13.8% Y), fluorbritholite series, ramanite-(Rb) (25.2% Rb), yftisite-(Y), stavelotite-(La), kainosite-(Y), kemmlitzite, diversilite-(Ce), yakovenchukite-(Y), phosinaite-(Ce), strontiochevkinite, gerenite-(Y), levinsonite-(Y), chukhrovite series, kamphaugite-(Y), allanite series, decrespignyite-(Y), fluorite bearing yttrium, trimounsite-(Y), yttrotungstite-(Ce), semenovite-(Ce), laplandite-(Ce), hingganite-(Y), carbocernaite, byzantievite, vanadoandrosite-(Ce), proshchenkoite-(Y), nordite series, schuilingite-(Nd), rinkite, roumaite, graulichite-(Ce), braitschite-(Ce), manganonordite-(Ce), ferronordite series, nacareniobsite-(Ce), perrierite-(Ce), manganiandrosite-(La), orthojoaquinite series, joaquinite-(Ce), manganiandrosite-(Ce), byelorussite-(Ce), seidite-(Ce), tombarthite-(Y), arsenoflorencite series, cappelenite-(Y), ilimaussite-(Ce), fluorcaphite, hellandite-(Y), ferriallanite-(Ce), kukharenkoite-(Ce), tadzhikite-(Ce), gramaccioliite-(Y), keiviite-(Y), deloneite, nioboaeschynite series, calcioburbankite, sazhinite-(Ce), zugshunstite-(Ce), mosandrite, tarkianite (57.4% Re), daqingshanite-(Ce), loparite-(Ce), cebaite series, fluorcalciobritholite, dollaseite-(Ce), gysinite-(Nd), isolueshite, dissakisite-(Ce), aeschynite series, belovite-(Ce), florencite series, wakefieldite series, khristovite-(Ce), hundholmenite-(Y), kapustinite, kentbrooksite, abenakiite-(Ce), retzian series, ashcroftine-(Ce), rheniite (74.4% Re), qaqarssukite-(Ce), huanghoite-(Ce), vyuntspakhkite-(Y), remondite-(La).

Mild ERS

% REE equivalent (unit, %REE + %ZR +%Y)

Mild ERS, high (1³ to 10⁴ gamma ray response units (more than c. 0.056% Th, c. 3.3 μSv/(g x hr); webmineral.com): stornesite-(Y) (% Th), kapitsaite-(Y) (% Th), hainite (% Th), ikranite (% Th), crichtonite, loveringite (% Th), voronkovite (% Th), micheelsenite (% Th), tanteuxenite-(Y), loranskite-(Y), georgbarsanovite, miserite, bario-olgite, dualite, euxenite-(Y), dingdaohengite-(Ce), zircon, titanite, plumboagardite, caysichite-(Y), hibonite, pyatenkoite-(Y), calciopetersite, ferrokentbrooksite, ewaldite, kuannersuite-(Ce), carbokentbrooksite, ilmajokite, burbankite, chernovite-(Y), kuliokite-(Y), mineevite-(Y), petersite series, johnsenite-(Ce), moskvinite-(Y), khanneshite, vigezzite, tadzhikite-(Y), eudialyte, zirconolite, tantalaeschynite-(Y), uedaite-(Ce), rubicline (20.5% Rb), voloshinite (19.3% Rb), yttrotungstite series, murataite-(Y), adamsite-(Y), agardite series, zirsilite-(Ce), mckelveyite-(Nd) (% REE eq.).

Mild ERS, low (100 to 1,000 gamma ray response units (webmineral.com)

Notes

Barely detectable ERS, high (10 to 100 gamma ray response units (webmineral.com)

Barely detectable ERS, medium (1 to 10 gamma ray response units (webmineral.com)

Barely detectable ERS, low (0.1 to 1 gamma ray response units (webmineral.com)

Notes: best orientation is the estimated relative mass of some elements (U, Th, Re and Rb; natural isotopic abundance) based on the empirical formula of the type material (mineralienatlas.de and webmineral.com), assuming the mineral is "old" in geological terms (no "recent" genesis). REE-minerals have an estimated 5% Th/REE. Only sensitive detectors are able to detect radioactivity on minerals in the 'mild ERS' and 'barely detectable ERS' range. (Gamma ray response of common clay minerals, the detector is centered in a borehole with a 3 inch standoff; American Petroleum Institute (API): millisievert per hour exposure (one side of a mineral only) = GR(api)/(20,000x365x24); 0.15 millisievert per year exposure (NCRP Report, half of the estimated US-exposure to terrestrial sources) = 200 GR(api)).

Proposed estimated radioactivity (webmineral.com):

Element (natural isotopic abundance)	Activity (Becquerels/g)
Uranium (U)	179,000
Thorium (Th)	44,800
90% Samarium (Sm) + 10% Th	4,590
90% Lutetium (Lu) + 10% Th	4,520
Rare Earth Elements (REE) or Yttrium (Y) or Zirconium (Zr) + 10% Th	4,500
96% Samarium (Sm) + 4% Th	1,910
96% Lutetium (Lu)+ 4% Th	1,840
Rare Earth Elements (REE) or Yttrium (Y) or Zirconium (Zr) + 4% Th	1,800
Rhenium (Re)	1,020
Rubidium (Rb)	891
Potassium (K)	30.3