Radiation Measurements 42 (2007) 441–445www.elsevier.com/locate/radmeas

Uranium studies in water samples belonging to Malwa region of Punjab,using track etching technique

Rohit Mehraa,∗, Surinder Singhb, Kulwant Singhb

aDepartment of Applied Sciences, Malout Institute of Management and Information Technology, Malout 152107, IndiabDepartment of Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, India

Received 31 August 2006; accepted 19 January 2007

Abstract

The fission track registration technique was used for the analysis of uranium concentration in water samples. A known volume of the water(one drop) was dropped on the lexan sample. All the samples were enclosed in an aluminum capsule and irradiated with thermal neutrons inthe reactor at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India with a thermal neutron fluence of about 2 × 1015 (nvt). Uranium content inwater samples of the study area ranges from 5.41 to 43.39 �g l−1. The values of uranium concentration in water samples of these areas arelower than those reported for water samples of Himachal Pradesh, India. The aim of the present investigations is to explore the possibility ofuranium prospection and health risk assessments in areas of Malwa region of Punjab.© 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Uranium; Fission track; Water; Lithophilic

1. Introduction

Uranium is a natural lithophilic element and is contained al-most in all natural soils and waters; however, its concentrationvaries from water to water depending upon its origin, loca-tion of mines, etc. Uranium has both chemical and radiologicaltoxicity with the two important target organs being the kid-neys and lungs (WHO, 1998; ATSDR, 1990, 1999). Retentionof uranium in the kidney has been attributed to the creationof complexes with proteins and phospholipids in the proxi-mal tubules, considered to be the main site of kidney damage.Abbasi (1998) has discussed the possible mechanism for thetoxic action of the uranyl ion in the kidney. Uranyl ion circu-lates in the blood plasma as a relatively inert but acid labilebicarbonate–uranyl complex; this could be filtered into the kid-ney tubules and uranyl ion is set free by the action of hydro-gen ions. The uranyl ion is thought to be librated and concen-trated in the tubular lumen as a result of normal tubular action.The ions, however, cause damage to kidney structures which,if sever enough, results in kidney failure. Uranium also appears

∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +91 9888534590; fax: +91 1637 264511.E-mail address: rohit_mimit@rediffmail.com (R. Mehra).

1350-4487/$ - see front matter © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/j.radmeas.2007.01.040

to affect the brain. Neurological sign and pathological changesin the cerebellar and cerebral cortices have been observed inrabbits exposed to soluble uranium salts (Berlin and Rudell,1986). Water having uranium concentration above few �g l−1

is not safe for drinking purposes. Hence the need of estimationof uranium concentration in water is multifold: it is an impor-tant fuel for nuclear power and therefore hydro-geo-chemicalprospecting for uranium is essential; the assessment of the riskof health hazards due to high concentration of uranium in wa-ters is most important. Uranium a primordial radionuclide oc-curs in a dispersed state in the earth’s crust. Due to its propertyto get dissolved in aqueous solutions in hexavalent (U6+) fromand to precipitate as a discrete mineral in tetravalent (U4+)

form, it forms deposits in the earth’s crust where the geologicalconditions become favorable. Uranium prospection throughthe analysis of soil, rocks, plants and water has been reportedby many workers (Dyck, 1979; Dunn, 1981). Uranium presentin the earth is transferred to water, plants, food supplementsand then to human beings. According to an estimate food con-tributes about 15% of ingested uranium while drinking watercontributes about 85% (Cothern and Lappenbusch, 1983). Anexposure of about 0.1 mg/kg of body weight of soluble naturaluranium results in transient chemical damage to the kidneys

442 R. Mehra et al. / Radiation Measurements 42 (2007) 441–445

Fig. 1. Map of Punjab showing the area surveyed during the present investigations.

(Tanner, 1980). Uranium decays through radium and producesa gaseous decay product radon that can diffuse out of materialinto the atmosphere (Somogyi, 1990). The aim of the presentinvestigations is health risk assessments in areas of Malwa re-gion of Punjab.

2. Geology of the area

Fig. 1 shows the geographic location of the states of thePunjab, as well as the location of the sampling sites. The geo-graphic location of the study area in Punjab is between latitude30.12◦.30.55◦N and longitude 74.43◦.76.25◦E. Punjab sedi-ments are derived from Siwalik Himalayas and occur in theform of alluvium. The surveyed area is bounded on the westernside by Pakistan, on the south by Rajasthan and Haryana.

3. Experimental techniques

In the study area, 34 villages were chosen for analysis of ura-nium concentration in water samples. The water samples werecollected from the hand pumps. The fission track registrationtechnique was used for the analysis of uranium concentrationin water samples. A known volume of the water (one drop) wasdropped on the Lexan sample. The drop was allowed to evap-orate in a dust free atmosphere. The non- volatile constituents,remained on the Lexan disc, were covered with another Lexandisc. All the samples were enclosed in an aluminum capsuleand irradiated with thermal neutrons in the ‘CIRUS’ reactor atBhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India with a thermalneutron fluence of about 2 × 1015 n cm−2. In the present inves-tigations, the samples were irradiated with thermal neutrons inthe IC-1 self-serve position of the reactor. The fast neutron flux

at this position was less than 1%. Standard aluminum capsulesof dimensions 18 mm diameter and 38 mm height are used atCIRUS reactor for irradiation purposes.

After irradiation the detector discs were etched in 6.25NNaOH solution at 70 ◦C for 25 min. To reveal the fission tracks.The developed fission tracks were scanned using an opticalmicroscope at a magnification of 400X. Uranium concentrationin water samples was determined using the technique givenby Fleischer and Lovett (1968) and was estimated using theformula:

C = T M

V GN��E,

where, N is the Avogadro’s number (6.023 × 1023); T the totalnumber of tracks; V the volume of drop (ml); M the atomicweight of uranium of isotope 235U; G the geometry factor (isassumed to be unity); � the total thermal neutron fluence 2 ×1015 n cm−2): � the fission cross section and E the etchingefficiency factor for Lexan taken as unity.

4. Results and discussion

The values of uranium concentration in water samples of thestudy area are presented in Table 1. Uranium content in waterranges from 5.41 to 43.39 �g l−1 for Barnala and Burj Harike,respectively, with an average of 17.33 �g l−1 and geometricalmean of 15.75 �g l−1. Various health and environmental pro-tection agencies have recommended a safe limit of uranium indrinking water for human beings. The International Commis-sion on Radiological Protection (ICRP, 1993) has recommended1.9 �g l−1 of uranium in drinking water as the safe limit. Theworld health organization (WHO) has recommended 15 �g l−1

R. Mehra et al. / Radiation Measurements 42 (2007) 441–445 443

Table 1Uranium concentration in water samples of areas of Malwa region of Punjab

Sr. No. Sample location (Village) Uranium concentration in water (�g l−1)

Sangrur1 Tapa 12.93 ± 0.15a

2 Handiaya 14.42 ± 0.163 Barnala 5.41 ± 0.104 Sangrur 9.37 ± 0.135 Bhawanigarh 13.42 ± 0.166 Dhuri 19.43 ± 0.197 Dhanola 21.24 ± 0.208 Sunam 20.13 ± 0.209 Malerkotla 8.43 ± 0.12

Faridkot10 Faridkot 10.43 ± 0.1411 Sadik 13.95 ± 0.1612 Kot Kapura 17.88 ± 0.1813 Khara 16.32 ± 0.1314 Jaiton 19.32 ± 0.19

Mansa15 Budlada 11.78 ± 0.1516 Mansa 26.93 ± 0.2417 Burj Harike 43.39 ± 0.2918 Bhiki 14.33 ± 0.1619 Bareta 16.68 ± 0.17

Patiala20 Nabha 20.21 ± 0.2021 Patiala 21.43 ± 0.2022 Samana 14.43 ± 0.1623 Kauli 30.41 ± 0.2424 Raj Pura 10.73 ± 0.14

Ludhiana25 RaiKot 11.68 ± 0.1526 Ludhiana 27.35 ± 0.2327 Khanna 6.78 ± 0.1428 Sarhind 30.31 ± 0.2429 Jagraon 20.43 ± 0.20

Moga30 Moga 19.42 ± 0.2031 Baga Purana 17.43 ± 0.1732 Smalsar 9.45 ± 0.1333 Ajitwal 5.50 ± 0.1034 Nihal Singh Wala 17.80 ± 0.18

aStatistical counting error 1� = ±(1/√

N)× uranium content, where N is the number of tracks.

of uranium in water as safe limit for drinking purposes (2004).Recently, United States environmental protection agency (USEPA) has regulated uranium in public water supplies and hasset the values of 30 �g l−1 as safe limits (2003). These levelsare set to represent a concentration that does not result in anysignificant risk to health over a lifetime’s drinking water. Oncomparing the uranium values in drinking water with the rec-ommended value of 1.9 �g l−1, all the samples seem to haveuranium values more than the recommended level. However,when compared with WHO and US EPA the values are withinthe safe limits.

The values of uranium concentration in drinking water sam-ples obtained in the present investigations in the study areas

are also compared with those available in literature worldwide(Table 2). The uranium concentration in water samples insouth Greenland lies in the range of 0.5.1.0 �g l−1 as reportedby Brown et al. (1983). The average values of uranium indrinking ground water were found to be 3 �g l−1 (Cothern andLappenbusch, 1983) with ranges of 0.015.973 �g l−1 in do-mestic supplies in the U.S. (Drury et al., 1981). Kumru(1995) has reported uranium concentration in water sam-ples from Turkey in the range of 0.24.17.65 �g l−1. Bansalet al. (1985, 1988) have reported uranium concentration rangeof 0.67.471.27 �g l−1 in the Aligarh (in Uttar Pradesh stateof India) tube well waters and the domestic Indian watersupplies, whereas in hot spring waters it varies in the range

444 R. Mehra et al. / Radiation Measurements 42 (2007) 441–445

Table 2Range of uranium concentration in drinking water world wide

Sr. No. Country Range of uranium Average Value (�g l−1) Referencesconcentration (�g l−1)

1. Ontario, Canada 0.05–4.21 0.40 OMEE (1996)Moss et al. (1983)Moss (1985)

2. New York, USA 0.03–0.08 — Fisenne and Welford (1986)3. USA — 2.55 US EPA (1990, 1991)4. Argentina 0.04–11.0 1.3 Bomben et al. (1996)5. Japan — 0.0009 Nozaki et al. (1970)6. Norweign 18% samples had — Frengstad et al. (2000)

uranium concentrationin excess of 20 ppb

7. New Mexico > 20 ppb — Hakonson-Hayes et al. (2002)8. Central Australia > 20 ppb — Hostetler et al. (1998)9. Jordan 0.04–1400 2.4 Gedeon et al. (1994)

Smith et al. (2000)10. Kuwait 0.02–2.48 — Bou-Rabee (1995)11. United States 0.01-652 — Drury et al. (1981)

Edgington (1965)Cothern and Lappenbusch (1983)

12. South Greenland 0.5–1.0 — Brown et al. (1983)13. Turkey 0.24–17.65 — Kumru (1995)14. India 0.08–471.27 — Talukdar et al. (1983)

Bansal et al. (1985,1988)Singh et al. (1993, 2003)

15. India 5.41–43.39 17.33 Present investigations

1.4.7.4 �g l−1 (Chakarvarti et al., 1980). A very wide range ofuranium concentration of 0.04.1400 �g l−1 in drinking watersupplies in Jordon has been reported by [Gedeon et al. (1994)and Smith et al. (2000). Uranium values obtained in the watersamples in the present investigations generally lie above therange reported by other workers except those in United States,Jordon, and some other workers in India as given in Table 2.

5. Conclusions

Uranium content in water ranges from 5.41 to 43.39 �g l−1

for Barnala and Burj Harike, respectively, with an average of17.33 �g l−1. The values of uranium concentration in watersamples are more than the recommended value of 1.9 �g l−1

(ICRP, 1993). However, when compared with WHO and USEPA the values are within the safe limits. The high uraniumcontent in the ground water samples may be due to the ra-dioactive rich granites of Tusham Hills, Bhiwani district of theneighboring Haryana state of India. Kochhar has already re-ported high radioactivity in granite rocks of this area (Kochhar,1989). The present study suggests more detailed investigationsto be carried out in the area to reach at some conclusions.

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the residents of the study area fortheir cooperation during the fieldwork, and students and staffof MIMIT, Malout and lab staff of G.N.D. University for theirsupport.

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