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Mathuthu, M.; Uushona, V.; Indongo, V. |
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Title |
Radiological safety of groundwater around a uranium mine in Namibia |
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Journal Article |
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2021 |
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Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C |
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122 |
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102915 |
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Groundwater, ICP-MS, Radiological hazard, Uranium mining |
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Abstract |
Uranium mining activities produce the main element used in nuclear energy production. However, it can also negatively affect the environment including groundwater by release of residues or effluent containing radioactive elements. The study investigated the concentration and radiological hazard of uranium in groundwater and seepage water from the tailings of a uranium mine in Namibia. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to assess the concentration of uranium in the groundwater and seepage water and the radiological hazards were determined. The radiological hazard indices Radium equivalent activity (Raeq), Absorbed dose (D), Annual Effective Dose equivalent (AEDE), External hazard index (Hex) and Internal hazard index (Hin) were determined and compared to limits recommended by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The calculated average value of D and Hin of groundwater is 108.11nGyh−1 and 1.26, respectively and are above the UNSCEAR values (55 nGyh−1 and 1). Further, the average values of Raeq, AEDE and Hex were below the recommended values. The isotopic ratio of uranium radionuclides in groundwater indicates that the uranium in the sampled groundwater is below 1 suggesting it is not natural uranium present but a possible contamination from the mine seepage. The radiological hazard parameters of the seepage water were above the recommended values and thus pose a radiation risk to human and environment. |
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1474-7065 |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ mathuthu_radiological_2021 |
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160 |
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Kumar, V.; Setia, R.; Pandita, S.; Singh, S.; Mitran, T. |
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Title |
Assessment of U and As in groundwater of India: A meta-analysis |
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Journal Article |
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2022 |
Publication |
Chemosphere |
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303 |
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135199 |
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Keywords |
Arsenic, Geology, Groundwater, Health risk, Soil texture, Uranium |
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More than 2.5 billion people depend upon groundwater worldwide for drinking, and giving quality water has become one of the great apprehensions of human culture. The contamination of Uranium (U) and Arsenic (As) in the groundwater of India is gaining global attention. The current review provides state-of-the-art groundwater contamination with U and As in different zones of India based on geology and soil texture. The average concentration of U in different zones of India was in the order: West Zone (41.07 μg/L) \textgreater North Zone (37.7 μg/L) \textgreater South Zone (13.5 μg/L)\textgreater Central Zone (7.4 μg/L) \textgreater East Zone (5.7 μg/L) \textgreaterSoutheast Zone (2.4 μg/L). The average concentration of As in groundwater of India is in the order: South Zone (369.7 μg/L)\textgreaterCentral Zone (260.4 μg/L)\textgreaterNorth Zone (67.7 μg/L)\textgreaterEast Zone (60.3 μg/L)\textgreaterNorth-east zone (9.78 μg/L)\textgreaterWest zone (4.14 μg/L). The highest concentration of U and As were found in quaternary sediments, but U in clay skeletal and As in loamy skeletal. Results of health risk assessment showed that the average health quotient of U in groundwater for children and adults was less than unity. In contrast, it was greater than unity for As posing a harmful impact on human health. This review provides the baseline data regarding the U and As contamination status in groundwater of India, and appropriate, effective control measures need to be taken to control this problem. |
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0045-6535 |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ kumar_assessment_2022 |
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161 |
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Gómez, P.; Garralón, A.; Buil, B.; Turrero, M.J.; Sánchez, L.; Cruz, B. de la |
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Modeling of geochemical processes related to uranium mobilization in the groundwater of a uranium mine |
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2006 |
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Science of The Total Environment |
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366 |
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1 |
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295-309 |
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Geochemical modeling, Granite, Groundwater, Uranium mine, Uranium retention |
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This paper describes the processes leading to uranium distribution in the groundwater of five boreholes near a restored uranium mine (dug in granite), and the environmental impact of restoration work in the discharge area. The groundwater uranium content varied from \textless1 μg/L in reduced water far from the area of influence of the uranium ore-containing dyke, to 104 μg/L in a borehole hydraulically connected to the mine. These values, however, fail to reflect a chemical equilibrium between the water and the pure mineral phases. A model for the mobilization of uranium in this groundwater is therefore proposed. This involves the percolation of oxidized waters through the fractured granite, leading to the oxidation of pyrite and arsenopyrite and the precipitation of iron oxyhydroxides. This in turn leads to the dissolution of the primary pitchblende and, subsequently, the release of U(VI) species to the groundwater. These U(VI) species are retained by iron hydroxides. Secondary uranium species are eventually formed as reducing conditions are re-established due to water–rock interactions. |
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0048-9697 |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ gomez_modeling_2006 |
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162 |
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Holmes, M.; Campbell, E.E.; Wit, M. de; Taylor, J.C. |
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Can diatoms be used as a biomonitoring tool for surface and groundwater?: Towards a baseline for Karoo water |
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2023 |
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South African Journal of Botany |
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161 |
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211-221 |
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Bioindicator, Diatom, Hydraulic fracturing, Karoo, Water quality |
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The environmental risks from shale gas extraction through the unconventional method of ‘fracking’ are considerable and impact on water supplies below and above ground. Since 2010 the recovery of natural shale gas through fracking has been proposed in parts of the fragile semi-arid ecosystems that make up the Karoo biome in South Africa. These unique ecosystems are heavily reliant on underground water, intermittent and ephemeral springs, which are at great risk of contamination by fracking processes. Diatoms are present in all water bodies and reflect aspects of the environment in which they are located. As the possibility of fracking has not been removed, the aim of the project was to determine if diatoms could be used for rapid biomonitoring of underground and surface waters in the Karoo. Over a period of 24 months, water samples and diatom species were collected simultaneously from 65 sites. A total of 388 diatom taxa were identified from 290 samples with seasonal and substrate variation affecting species composition but not the environmental information. Species diversity information, on the other hand, often varied significantly between substrates within a single sample. Analysis using CCA established that the diatom composition was affected by lithium, oxidized nitrogen, electrical conductivity, and sulphate levels in the sampled water. We conclude that changes in diatom community composition in the Karoo do reflect the water chemistry and could be useful as bioindicators. |
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0254-6299 |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ holmes_can_2023 |
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163 |
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Moreau, M.; Daughney, C. |
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Defining natural baselines for rates of change in New Zealand’s groundwater quality: Dealing with incomplete or disparate datasets, accounting for impacted sites, and merging into state of the-environment reporting |
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2021 |
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Science of The Total Environment |
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755 |
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143292 |
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Baseline, Groundwater quality, Machine-learning, Monitoring, New Zealand, Trends |
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To effectively manage sustainably groundwater bodies, it is essential to establish what the naturally occurring ranges of chemical concentrations in groundwaters are and how they change over time. We defined baseline trends for New Zealand groundwaters using: 1) pattern recognition techniques to deal with inconsistent monitoring suites between the national (110 sites) and the denser regional network (\textgreater1000 sites), and 2) multivariate statistics to identify and remove impacted sites from the enhanced dataset. Rates of changes were calculated for 13 parameters between January 2005 and December 2014 at more than 1000 groundwater quality monitoring sites. The resulting dataset included 262 complete cases (CC), which was enhanced using Machine-Learning (ML) techniques to a total of 607 sites. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify trend clusters that were consistent between the CC, ML-enhanced datasets and a 2006 study based on solely on the national network. The largest cluster (WR) consisted of low magnitude changes across all parameters and was attributed to water-rock interaction processes. The second largest cluster (I) exhibited fast changes particularly for parameters linked to human-induced impact. The third largest cluster (D) comprised decreases of all parameters and was associated with dilution processes. Trend clusters were further refined using groundwater quality state information, enabling the identification of impacted sites outside of Cluster I in the ML-enhanced and CC datasets. Corresponding trend baselines were subsequently derived at unimpacted sites using univariate quantile distribution (5th and 95th percentile thresholds). Finally, we developed classifications combining baselines (state and trend) and natural variability to enhance state of the environment reporting. This allowed the new identification of deteriorating trends at sites where groundwater quality state is not yet affected in addition to trend reversals. These classifications can be adapted to incorporate new knowledge or align with surface water quality reporting. |
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0048-9697 |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ moreau_defining_2021 |
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164 |
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