Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Survey of uranium in drinking water sources in India: interim observations


Affiliations
1 Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
2 Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
3 Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
 

A nationwide survey is being conducted for mapping uranium content in drinking water sources across India, in association with local educational and research institutions. For this, an optimum grid size of 6 × 6 sq. km was selected based on the international practices for geochemical mapping. About 55,554 surface as well as groundwater samples, used for drinking purpose, were collected covering approximately 1.2 × 106 sq. km. Light emitting diode-based fluorimeter having wide dynamic range and 0.2 μg l–1 lower detection limit was used for direct measurement of uranium content in the water samples. Uranium was detected in 83.6% of all the collected water samples. The geometric mean of uranium concentration in surface and groundwater samples was found to be 0.8 μg l–1 (range: ≤0.2–22 μg l–1) and 2.1 μg l–1 (range: ≤0.2–4918 μg l–1) respectively. Out of 12 water quality parameters measured to understand the geochemical processes governing uranium content in water sources, eight were found to exceed the acceptable limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards for drinking water. The parameters sulphate, chloride, nitrate, fluoride, total dissolved solids, alkalinity and hardness exceeded their limits by 4.2%, 12.9%, 14%, 20.5%, 34.3%, 45% and 51.6% respectively. Uranium content in 98% of groundwater samples was found to be less than the national limit set by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board for radiological safety. Dissolved uranium content in groundwater samples showed an upward trend with total dissolved solids and depth of water sources. No surface water samples exceeded the prescribed regulatory limit.

Keywords

Drinking water sources, fluorimeter, surface and groundwater, uranium, water quality parameters.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • World Bank report, Deep wells and prudence, towards pragmatic action for addressing ground water overexploitation in India, World Bank, USA, 2010.

  • CGWB, National compilation on dynamic ground water resources of India, 2017. Government of India (GoI), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Central Ground Water Board, July 2019.

  • CGWB, Concept note on geogenic contamination of ground water in India. Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources, GoI, 2014.

  • Tripathi, R. M., Sahoo, S. K., Mohapatra, S., Lenka, P., Dubey, J. S. and Puranik, V. D., Study of uranium isotopic composition in groundwater and deviation from secular equilibrium condition. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 2013, 295, 1195–1200; doi:10.1007/ s10967-012-1992-7.

  • UNSCEAR, Sources and effects of ionizing radiation. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effect of Atomic Radiation, Annex D – Biological effects of selected internal emitters – Uranium, United Nations, New York, USA, 2016.

  • Odette, P., Thomas, V., Eric, A., Pascal, F., Pascale, P., Paivi, K. and Laina, S., Uranium speciation in drinking water from drilled wells in southern Finland and its potential links to health effects. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2009, 43, 3941–3946.

  • WHO, Uranium in drinking water. Background document for development of WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2012.

  • Liesch, T., Hinrichsen, S. and Goldscheider, N., Uranium in groundwater – fertilizer versus geogenic sources. Sci. Total Environ., 2015, 536, 981–995.

  • Woosik, S. et al., Distribution and potential health risk of groundwater uranium in Korea. Chemosphere, 2016, 163, 108–115.

  • Stalder, E., Blanc, A. and Haldimanr, A., Occurrence of uranium in Swiss drinking water. Chemosphere, 2012, 86, 672–679.

  • Berisha, F. and Goessler, W., Uranium in Kosovo’s drinking water. Chemosphere, 2013, 93, 2165–2170.

  • Nolan, J. and Weber, K. A., Natural uranium contamination in major US aquifers linked to nitrate. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 2015, 2, 215–220.

  • Babu, M. N. S., Somashekar, R. K., Kumar, S. A., Shivanna, K., Krishnamurthy, V. and Eappen, K. P., Concentration of uranium levels in groundwater. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008, 5(2), 263.

  • Singh, J., Singh, L. and Singh, G., High U-contents observed in some drinking waters of Punjab, India. J. Environ. Radioact., 1995, 26, 217–222.

  • Sinha, D. K., Srivastava, P. K., Hansoti, S. K. and Sharma, P. K., Uranium and radon concentration in groundwater of Deccan Trap country and environmental hazard in Keolari–Nainpur area, SeoniMandla district, Madhya Pradesh. Geol. Surv. India Spec. Publ., 1997, 48(2), 115–121.

  • Coyte, R. M., Jain, R. C., Srivastava, S. K., Sharma, K. C., Khalil, A., Ma, L. and Venhosh, A., Large-scale uranium contamination of groundwater resources in India. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 2018, 5(6), 341–347.

  • IUGS, A global geochemical database for environmental and resource management. Recommendations for International geochemical mapping final report of IGCP Project 259, International Union of Geological Sciences, 2005.

  • ISO 5667-1, Water quality. Sampling. Guidance on the design of sampling programmes and sampling techniques, 2006.

  • ISO 5667-3, Water quality – Sampling – part 3: preservation and handling of water samples, 2018.

  • ISO 5667-14, Water quality. Sampling. Guidance on quality assurance and quality control of environmental water sampling and handling, 2016.

  • IS 3025-1, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and waste water, part 1 – Sampling, 1987.

  • IS 3025-11, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and wastewater, part 11: pH value, 1983.

  • IS 3025-16, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and wastewater, part 16: filterable residue (total dissolved solids), 1984.

  • IS 3025-9, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and wastewater, Part 9: temperature, 1984.

  • CPCB, Guidelines for water quality monitoring, Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi, MINARS/27/2007-08, 2008.

  • APHA, Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Waste Waters, American Public Health Association, Washington DC, 2005, 21st edn.

  • Manual of LED Fluorimeter, Quantalase Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Indore, 2015.

  • Sahoo, S. K. et al., Distribution of uranium in drinking water and associated age-dependent radiation dose in India. Radiat. Prot. Dosim., 2009, 136(2), 108–113.

  • Sahoo, S. K., Mohapatra, S., Patra, A. C., Sumesh, C. G., Jha, V. N., Tripathi, R. M. and Puranik, V. D., Determination of uranium at ultra trace level in packaged drinking water by laser fluorimeter and consequent ingestion dose. Radioprotection, 2010, 45, 55–66.

  • IS 3025-21, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and wastewater, part 21: total hardness, 2009.

  • IS 3025-23, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and wastewater, part 23: alkalinity, 1986.

  • IS 3025-24, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and wastewater, part 24: sulphates, 1986.

  • IS 3025-32, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and wastewater, part 32: chloride, 1988.

  • IS 3025-31, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and wastewater, part 31: phosphorus, 1988.

  • IS 3025-34, Methods of sampling and test (physical and chemical) for water and wastewater, part 34: nitrogen, 1988.

  • Shih, W. J. and Binkowitz, B., Median versus geometric mean for lognormal samples. J. Stat. Comput. Simul., 1987, 28(1), 81–83.

  • Blackwood, L. G., The lognormal distribution, environmental data and radiological monitoring. Environ. Monit. Assess., 1992, 21, 193–210.

  • Sahoo, S. K., Jha, V. N., Patra, A. C., Jha, S. K. and Kulkarni, M. S., Scientific background and methodology adopted on derivation of regulatory limit for uranium in drinking water – a global perspective. J. Environ. Adv., 2020, 2, 100020; doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2020.100020.

  • IS 10500, Indian standard drinking water – Specification, Second revision, May 2012.

  • CGWB, 2018, Ground Water Year Book – India 2017–18, Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, GoI, Faridabad, 2018.

  • Riedel, T. and Kubeck, C., Uranium in groundwater – a synopsis based on a large hydrogeochemical data set. Water Res., 2018, 129, 29–38.

  • Jurgens, B. C., Fram, M. S. F., Belitz, K., Burow, K. R. and Landon, M. K., Effects of groundwater development on uranium: Central Valley, California, USA. Ground Water, 2010, 48(6), 913–928.

  • Wakayama, H., Revision of drinking water quality standards in Japan, Office of Drinking Water Quality Management, Water Supply Division, Health Service Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, 2004.

  • Scientific opinion of the Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain on a request from German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment on uranium in foodstuff, in particular mineral water. EFSA J., 2009, 1018, 1–59.

  • WHO, Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Addendum to volume 2, Health criteria and other supporting information, World Health Organization, Geneva, 1998, 2nd edn.

  • WHO, Guidelines for drinking-water quality. World Health Organization, Geneva, 1993, 2nd edn.

  • WHO, Guidelines for drinking-water quality. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2004, 3rd edn.

  • WHO, Guidelines for drinking-water quality. World HealthOrganization, Geneva, 2017, 4th edn.

  • IAEA, International basic safety standards for protection against ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, IAEA Safety Series no.115, 1996.

  • Raghavayya, M., Secondary limits of exposure in facilities handling uranium. BARC Report No. BARC/1999/E/020, 1999.

  • ICRP-61, Annual limits on intake of radionuclides by workersbased on the 1990 recommendations, ICRP Publication 61, Annals of the ICRP 21(4), 1991.

  • Jimenez, A. and Rufo, M. D. L. M., Effect of water purification on its radioactive content. Water Res., 2002, 36, 1715–1724.

  • Coleman, S. J., Coronado, P. R., Maxwell, R. S. and Reynolds, J. G., Granulated activated carbon modified with hydrophobic silica aerogelpotential composite materials for the removal of uranium from aqueous solutions. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2003, 37(10), 2286–2290.

  • Bostick, W. D., Jarabek, R. J., Bostick, D. A. and Conca, J., Phosphate-induced metal stabilization: use of apatite and bone char for the removal of soluble radionuclides in authentic and simulated DOE groundwaters. Adv. Environ. Res., 1999, 3, 488–498.

  • Gerente, C., Andres, Y. and Le Cloirec, P., Uranium removal onto chitosan: competition with organic substances. Environ. Technol., 1999, 20, 515–521.

  • Farrell, J., Bostic, W. D., Jarabek, R. J. and Fiedor, J. N., Uranium removal from ground water using zero valent iron media. Ground Water, 1999, 37(4), 618–624.

  • Morrison, S. J., Metzler, D. R. and Dwye, B. P., Removal of As, Mn, Mo, Se, U, V and Zn from groundwater by zero-valent iron in a passive treatment cell: reaction process modeling. J. Contam. Hydrol., 2003, 56, 99–116.

  • Abdelouas, A., Lutze, W., Nuttall, E. and Gong, W., Remediation of U (VI)-contaminated water using zero-valent iron. Earth Planet. Sci., 1999, 328, 315–319.

  • Raff, O. and Wilken, R. D., Removal of dissolved uranium by nanofiltration. Desalination, 1999, 122, 147–150.

  • Triptathi, R. M. et al., Removal of uranium in water by hybrid membrane technique, BARC Internal Report: BARC/2012/I/016, 2012.


Abstract Views: 417

PDF Views: 113




  • Survey of uranium in drinking water sources in India: interim observations

Abstract Views: 417  |  PDF Views: 113

Authors

S. K. Sahoo
Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
S. K. Jha
Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
V. N. Jha
Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
A. C. Patra
Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
M. S. Kulkarni
Health Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India

Abstract


A nationwide survey is being conducted for mapping uranium content in drinking water sources across India, in association with local educational and research institutions. For this, an optimum grid size of 6 × 6 sq. km was selected based on the international practices for geochemical mapping. About 55,554 surface as well as groundwater samples, used for drinking purpose, were collected covering approximately 1.2 × 106 sq. km. Light emitting diode-based fluorimeter having wide dynamic range and 0.2 μg l–1 lower detection limit was used for direct measurement of uranium content in the water samples. Uranium was detected in 83.6% of all the collected water samples. The geometric mean of uranium concentration in surface and groundwater samples was found to be 0.8 μg l–1 (range: ≤0.2–22 μg l–1) and 2.1 μg l–1 (range: ≤0.2–4918 μg l–1) respectively. Out of 12 water quality parameters measured to understand the geochemical processes governing uranium content in water sources, eight were found to exceed the acceptable limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards for drinking water. The parameters sulphate, chloride, nitrate, fluoride, total dissolved solids, alkalinity and hardness exceeded their limits by 4.2%, 12.9%, 14%, 20.5%, 34.3%, 45% and 51.6% respectively. Uranium content in 98% of groundwater samples was found to be less than the national limit set by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board for radiological safety. Dissolved uranium content in groundwater samples showed an upward trend with total dissolved solids and depth of water sources. No surface water samples exceeded the prescribed regulatory limit.

Keywords


Drinking water sources, fluorimeter, surface and groundwater, uranium, water quality parameters.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv120%2Fi9%2F1482-1490