Spatial distribution of uranium and basic water quality parameter in the capital of Bihar and consequent ingestion dose

Abstract

Investigation of presence of Uranium (U) in groundwater/drinking water is an active are of research due to its chemical and radiological toxicity as well as long-term health effects. The current study had the objective of estimating U as a naturally occurring radioactive element in groundwater samples and assessment of ingestion dose, when groundwater is the source of drinking water. The random sampling method was chosen for the collection of samples based on population density. The estimation of U was done using LED fluorimeter. Statistical tools were applied to analyze the data and its spatial distribution. The U concentrations in three blocks of urban Patna were well below the permissible limits suggested by different health agencies of the world. A correlation test was performed to analyze the association of U with other physiochemical parameters of water samples. It was found that the sulfate, chloride, calcium, hardness, alkalinity, TDS, salinity, and ORP were positively correlated, whereas fluoride, phosphate, magnesium, dissolved oxygen, and pH were negatively correlated with U concentrations. The ingestion dose due to U, occurring in groundwater, was found to vary from 0.2-27.0 μSv y with a mean of 4.2 μSv y, which was well below the recommended limit of 0.1 mSv (WHO WHO Chron 38:104-108, 2012).Therefore, the water in this region is fit for drinking purposes.

Distribution and Geochemical Controls of Arsenic and Uranium in Groundwater-Derived Drinking Water in Bihar, India

“…Elevated U to the south of the Ganga, and especially in the southwestern districts of Aurangabad, Gaya, Jahenabad, Nalanda and Nawada, is consistent with previous work in Bihar [102]. In Patna, our results show that U varies significantly and is elevated in some parts of Patna, up to a max of 0.16 µM (38 µg.L −1 ); previously U has been reported to be well below permissible limits in several blocks of Patna [103]. In Singhbhum district (which was previously part of Bihar and now in Jharkhand State), located just south of Bihar, U mineralization is associated with Cu, Ni and sulphides in the Singhbhum shear zone, especially the U-enriched central zone between Jaduguda-Bhatin-Nimdih and Narwapahar-Garadih-Turamdih [152].…”

“…A partial review of the range of U concentrations encountered in various Indian states is included in [102,105]. In Bihar, to the authors' knowledge, published U studies are sparse and have been limited to five southwestern districts of Auranagabad, Gaya, Jahenabad, Nalada and Nawada where U was reported in elevated concentrations in selected samples [102,104], ranging in concentration from 0.1 to~240 µg.L −1 (~0.0004 to~1 µM) [102], and in several blocks of Patna where U was below permissible limits [103]. The co-occurrence of groundwater As and U has recently been reported in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh [117].The mobility and fate of both As and U in groundwater are highly dependent on local redox conditions.…”

Estimation of uranium in groundwater and assessment of age-dependent radiation dose in Nalbari district of Assam, India

“…Sampling sites signifies the favourable condition for uranium transport and release in aquifers [2,64,65]. A minor but positive correlation of sulphate with uranium suggests that SO 4 2− ions may be an additional complexing agent for uranyl (UO 2 2+ ) ions in groundwater [34,66,67].…”

“…The continuous exposure of uranium through drinking water leads to potential health risks to humans. Several studies have been done to estimate the probable health hazard due to the intake of groundwater contaminated with uranium [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Uranium originates from various anthropogenic activities such as mining, milling, mineral sands, and ores; fertilizer manufacturing [7][8][9][10] may be responsible for its groundwater presence.…”

“…Higher concentrations are reported from places like Kolar (Karnataka) [27], southwest Punjab and Bhatinda (Punjab) [8,28], Peddagattu and Seripally (Andhra Pradesh) [29], Hyderabad (Telangana) [30], Sirsa (Haryana) [5], Madurai, Tamil Nadu [31] and Central Tamil Nadu [32]. On the other hand, studies carried out in places like Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [33], Jaduguda (Jharkhand) [1], Nadia (West Bengal) [34], and Patna (Bihar) [2] have estimated a lower concentration of uranium in groundwater. The uranium concentration in groundwater is also observed changing with seasons, as reported from India's different places [35][36][37].…”