Uranium natural levels in water and soils: assessment of the Italian situation in relation to quality standards for drinking water

Abstract

In view of the establishment of quality standards for uranium in drinking water by the European and Italian authorities, we report a comprehensive overview of the Italian situation regarding uranium concentrations in natural waters. More than 3100 data on waters all over Italy are reviewed in addition to new data for Latium Region (Central Italy) where relatively high concentrations in rocks are long been known. Our study evidences that uranium in bedrock is not the main factor ruling uranium presence in fresh and groundwater, indicating that redox conditions as well as bicarbonates and silicates control solution equilibria and accordingly the uranium content in waters. At present, and considering the provisional guideline value of 30 lg/L established by [WHO (2012) Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality. World Health Organization, Geneva], no critical situation is envisaged in Italy, but this can be overruled if lower limits will be actually imposed. There is also a need of further studies on uranium speciation in water and of wider epidemiological studies to assess its real toxicity to overcome the uncertainties that have so far hampered the definition of reliable water quality standards.

An Integrated Approach to Identify Water Resources for Human Consumption in an Area Affected by High Natural Arsenic Content

“…The presence of high concentrations of arsenic and other potentially toxic elements [54,60] in the volcanic rocks of the area, as well as in the whole Roman Comagmatic Province (RCP) is attributed to the enrichment of incompatible element during the final stages of rock formation and to a diffuse percolation of fluids through the crust. This occurrence is widespread over the RCP and, particularly, Vico area as several gas emissions and intense hydrothermal activity highlight [39,61].…”