Large volumes of natural coal are used for energy production and burned with that purpose in Coal Fired Power Plants (CFPP). For example, a power plant of 1000 Megawatt per year burns about 4 million tons of coal a year. Coal, whatever the type or origin, always contains some amounts of natural radioactive material. When burned, these radionuclides concentrate in the different burning products. Both fly-ash and bottom-ash residues have enriched concentrations of radionuclides. The residues are, in the case of bottom-ash, dumped as waste in confined tailing ponds or used as landfill on construction sites, and, in the case of fly-ash, used in the technological production of certain building materials such as cement, concrete, a.o.

Aluminium ore also contains some amount of natural radioactive material. In general, analogous to the enrichment of naturally occurring radioactive material in waste of coal burning power plants, production of alumina from aluminium ore results in significant enrichment of naturally occurring radioactive material in the waste (principally red mud). This waste is disposed in the environment, usually in tailing ponds in the close vicinity of the production plant. Sometimes, the tailings are used as landfill.

In some cases, when the parent material is unusually radioactive, the use of the waste products can imply potential danger to human health and environment. The radioactivity around the plant facilities can directly affect the health of the local population, or it can contaminate ground-water and/or surface water. Additionally, if the tailings are used as landfill or in construction materials, they can be hazardous to the environment where they are used.