An assessment of uranium in groundwater in the Grand Canyon region.
An assessment of uranium in groundwater in the Grand Canyon region.
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DOI：
10.1038/s41598-021-01621-8
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发表时间：
2021-11-16
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
Unema JA
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Tillman FD;Beisner KR;Anderson JR;Unema JA
亚利桑那州北部的大峡谷地区是许多美洲原住民的家园或神圣的发源地，每年有超过600万游客前来参观。该地区的大多数社区所有的用水都依赖于地下水。美国一些品位最高的铀矿也在大峡谷地区发现。2012年，大峡谷地区4000多平方公里的联邦土地从新的铀矿开采活动中撤出20年，部分原因是缺乏关于铀矿开采对该地区水资源的潜在影响的科学数据。美国地质调查局自1981年以来一直在大峡谷地区收集地下水化学样本，以更好地了解地下水质量的现状，监测可能是采矿活动导致的地下水质量变化，并确定金属浓度升高的“热点”并调查原因。本文介绍了大峡谷地区地下水中铀的评估结果。从1981年9月1日至2020年10月7日，从180个泉水点和26口井采集了573个样品，获得了大峡谷地区地下水中铀的分析结果。样品是从泉水中采集的，这些泉水来自二叠纪地层上方、内部和下方的地层单位，这些地层单位在该地区的角砾岩管道中蕴藏着铀矿。该地区地下水站点的最高铀浓度从23个站点(11%)的小于1微克/L到4个站点(2%)的100ug/L或以上。在抽样的206个地下水站点中，195个站点(95%)的最高观测铀浓度低于美国环保局规定的饮用水最高污染物水平30微克/L，177个站点(86%)的铀浓度低于加拿大保护淡水水生生物的基准15微克/L。确定地下水基准水质是监测采矿整个生命周期及以后水化学变化的重要第一步，以确保这些关键地下水资源的健康。
The Grand Canyon region in northern Arizona is a home or sacred place of origin for many Native Americans and is visited by over 6 million tourists each year. Most communities in the area depend upon groundwater for all water uses. Some of the highest-grade uranium ore in the United States also is found in the Grand Canyon region. A withdrawal of over 4000 km2 of Federal land in the Grand Canyon region from new uranium mining activities for 20 years was instituted in 2012, owing in part to a lack of scientific data on potential effects from uranium mining on water resources in the area. The U.S. Geological Survey has collected groundwater chemistry samples since 1981 in the Grand Canyon region to better understand the current state of groundwater quality, to monitor for changes in groundwater quality that may be the result of mining activities, and to identify "hot spots" with elevated metal concentrations and investigate the causes. This manuscript presents results for the assessment of uranium in groundwater in the Grand Canyon region. Analytical results for uranium in groundwater in the Grand Canyon region were available for 573 samples collected from 180 spring sites and 26 wells from September 1, 1981 to October 7, 2020. Samples were collected from springs issuing from stratigraphic units above, within, and below the Permian strata that host uranium ore in breccia pipes in the area. Maximum uranium concentrations at groundwater sites in the region ranged from less than 1 µg/L at 23 sites (11%) to 100 µg/L or more at 4 sites (2%). Of the 206 groundwater sites sampled, 195 sites (95%) had maximum observed uranium concentrations less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Maximum Contaminant Level of 30 µg/L for drinking water and 177 sites (86%) had uranium concentrations less than the 15 µg/L Canadian benchmark for protection of aquatic life in freshwater. The establishment of baseline groundwater quality is an important first step in monitoring for change in water chemistry throughout mining lifecycles and beyond to ensure the health of these critical groundwater resources.
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影响因子：
5
作者：
GIBLIN, AM;BATTS, BD;SWAINE, DJ
通讯作者：
SWAINE, DJ
影响因子：
3.9
作者：
Hill, C. A.;Eberz, N.;Buecher, R. H.
通讯作者：
Buecher, R. H.
影响因子：
8.9
作者：
Bern, Carleton R.;Walton-Day, Katie;Naftz, David L.
通讯作者：
Naftz, David L.
影响因子：
2.6
作者：
Adams, Eric A.;Monroe, Stephen A.;Bills, Donald J.
通讯作者：
Bills, Donald J.
影响因子：
5.8
作者：
Crossey, LJ;Fischer, TP;de Leeuw, GAM
通讯作者：
de Leeuw, GAM