Assessing Uranium Contamination In Groundwater

A Comprehensive Review For India

Abstract

Abstract:

Groundwater occurrence is affected by the geological formation. Basaltic aquifers which occupy most of Maharashtra comprise multiple flows, each one being marked by a potential vesicular zone at the top and a massive rock unit underneath. Uranium, a heavy metal found in Earth's crust and rocks, soil, and water is a mixture of three isotopes (²³⁸U, ²³⁵U, and ²³⁴U) with similar chemical properties but different radioactive properties. The main forms of uranium are ²³⁴U and ²³⁸U which naturally occur in groundwater due to dissolution. The groundwater concentration is controlled by various factors viz., geological terrain, climate, proximity to uranium deposits, and water composition. Uranium is used in various sectors such as nuclear tests and medical applications. Human activities such as industrial activities and agricultural practices use phosphate fertilization. It comes in groundwater from deposited which is dissolved in water and contaminates the aquifers where water is pumped for domestic use as well as agricultural use. The significance of uranium estimation in groundwater is due to its radio as well as chemo-toxic properties to humans whenever uranium-contained water is consumed for drinking purposes. The uranium has been found in groundwater in several parts of the globe and several researchers claimed that the sources are anthropogenic as well as geogenic. The current work is an attempt to review and define the current situation of the uranium concentration in water bodies in the Maharashtra state as an important environmental pollution.