Large-Scale Uranium Contamination of Groundwater Resources in India
Large-Scale Uranium Contamination of Groundwater Resources in India
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DOI：
10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00215
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发表时间：
2018-06-01
影响因子：
10.9
通讯作者：
Vengosh, Avner
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Coyte, Rachel M.;Jain, Ratan C.;Vengosh, Avner
地下水过度开采导致地下水大量枯竭，并引发了对印度水和粮食安全的担忧。印度的地下水还存在多种水质问题，例如砷和氟化物污染，对人类健康构成威胁。我们在这里报告的新数据表明，印度地下水中铀的存在是一种新兴且广泛的现象。我们提供了印度 16 个邦地下水铀的汇编数据以及来自拉贾斯坦邦和古吉拉特邦 324 口井的新数据，这些数据显示印度各地铀浓度普遍高于世界卫生组织临时指导值 30 微克/升。利用地球化学和铀同位素数据，我们提出了可能导致地下水中铀浓度升高的因素，包括含水层岩石中的铀含量、氧化态以及促进可溶性碳酸铀酰复合物形成的地下水化学。虽然铀的主要来源是地质原因，但地下水位下降和硝酸盐污染等人为因素可能会进一步增强铀的动员。这些发现表明，需要修订印度目前的水质监测计划，评估铀含量高地区的人类健康风险，开发适当的修复技术，最重要的是，实施预防性管理措施来解决这一问题。
Groundwater overexploitation has caused massive groundwater depletion and raised concerns for water and food security in India. Groundwater in India also suffers from multiple water quality issues such as arsenic and fluoride contamination that pose human health risks. Here we report new data showing that the occurrence in uranium in Indian groundwater is an emerging and widespread phenomenon. We present compiled data on groundwater uranium from 16 Indian states and new data from 324 wells in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat that show a high prevalence of uranium concentrations above the World Health Organization provisional guideline value of 30 mu g/L across India. Using geochemical and uranium isotope data, we suggest factors that may drive high uranium concentrations in groundwater, including uranium content in aquifer rocks, oxidation state, and groundwater chemistry that promotes the formation of soluble uranyl carbonate complexes. While the primary source of uranium is geogenic, anthropogenic factors such as groundwater table decline and nitrate pollution may further enhance uranium mobilization. These findings suggest the need for revision of the current water quality monitoring program in India, evaluation of human health risks in areas of high uranium prevalence, development of adequate remediation technologies, and, above all, implementation of preventive management practices to address this problem.