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BARC/2014/E/011 BARC/2014/E/011 DETERMINATION OF URANIUM IN GROUND WATER USING DIFFERENT ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES by S.K. Sahu, Sukanta Maity, R.C. Bhangare and G.G. Pandit Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Section, H.S.&E. Grp. and D.N. Sharma Health, Safety and Environment Group BARC/2014/E/011 GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION BARC/2014/E/011 DETERMINATION OF URANIUM IN GROUND WATER USING DIFFERENT ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES by S.K. Sahu, Sukanta Maity, R.C. Bhangare and G.G. Pandit Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Section, H.S.&E. Grp. and D.N. Sharma Health, Safety and Environment Group BHABHA ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE MUMBAI, INDIA 2014 BARC/2014/E/011 BIBLIOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION SHEET FOR TECHNICAL REPORT (as per IS : 9400 - 1980) 01 Security classification : Unclassified 02 Distribution : External 03 Report status : New 04 Series : BARC External 05 Report type : Technical Report 06 Report No. : BARC/2014/E/011 07 Part No. or Volume No. : 08 Contract No. : 10 Title and subtitle : Determination of uranium in ground water using different analytical techniques 11 Collation : 34 p., 11 figs., 4 tabs. 13 Project No. : 20 Personal author(s) : 1. S.K. Sahu; Sukanta Maity; R.C. Bhangare; G.G. Pandit 2. D.N. Sharma 21 Affiliation of author(s) : 1. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Section, H.S.&E. Grp. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 2. Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 22 Corporate author(s) : Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai - 400 085 23 Originating unit : Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Section, Health, Safety and Environment Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 24 Sponsor(s) Name : Department of Atomic Energy Type : Government Contd... BARC/2014/E/011 30 Date of submission : September 2014 31 Publication/Issue date : October 2014 40 Publisher/Distributor : Head, Scientific Information Resource Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 42 Form of distribution : Hard copy 50 Language of text : English 51 Language of summary : English, Hindi 52 No. of references : 55 refs. 53 Gives data on : 60 Abstract : The concern over presence of natural radionuclides like uranium in drinking water is growing recently. The contamination of aquifers with radionuclides depends on number of factors. The geology of an area is the most important factor alongwith anthropogenic activities like mining, coal ash disposal from thermal power plants, use of phosphate fertilizers etc. Whatever may be the source, the presence of uranium in drinking waters is a matter of great concern for public health. Studies show that uranium is a chemo-toxic and nephrotoxic heavy metal. This chemo- toxicity affects the kidneys and bones in particular. Seeing the potential health hazards from natural radionuclides in drinking water, many countries worldwide have adopted the guideline activity concentration for drinking water quality recommended by the WHO (2011). For uranium, WHO has set a limit of 30μgL-1 in drinking water. The geological distribution of uranium and its migration in environment is of interest because the element is having environmental and exposure concerns. It is of great interest to use an analytical technique for uranium analysis in water which is highly sensitive especially at trace levels, specific and precise in presence of other naturally occurring major and trace metals and needs small amount of sample. Various analytical methods based on the use of different techniques have been developed in the past for the determination of uranium in the geological samples. The determination of uranium requires high selectivity due to its strong association with other elements. Several trace level wet chemistry analytical techniques have been reported for uranium determination, but most of these involve tedious and pain staking procedures, high detection limits, interferences etc. Each analytical technique has its own merits and demerits. Comparative assessment by different techniques can provide better quality control and assurance. In present study, uranium was analysed in ground water samples collected from different locations across India using three analytical techniques; fluorimetry, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The performance, response, sensitivity, reproducibility, linear range of these three methodologies were compared. It was found that the voltammetric technique was the most sensitive, efficient and economic process for trace level analyses. 70 Keywords/Descriptors : URANIUM; DRINKING WATER; FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY; EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY; TRACE AMOUNTS; GROUND WATER 71 INIS Subject Category : S54 99 Supplementary elements : सारांश पीने के पानी म� यरे�नयमू तथा अꅍय प्राकृ �तक रे�डयोधम� त配व� क� उपिथ�त पर �चंता हाल ह� म� बढ़ रह� है। जलत्रोत� का रे�डयोधम� षणप्रदू �व�भꅍन कारक� पर �नभ셍र करता है। रे�डयोधम� प्रदषणू म� ताप �व饍यतु संयंत्र, फॉफेट उव셍रक� का उपयोग, कोयला राख �नपटान इ配या�द मानवीय ग�त�व�धय� के साथ साथ भसंरचनाू सबसे मह配वपूण셍 कारक है। चाहे जो भी कारक हो, पीने के पानी म� यरे�नयमू क� उपल녍धता साव셍ज�नक वा镍य के �लए �चंता का �वषय है। अ鵍ययन� से पता चला है �क यूरे�नयम एक क�मो एवं �नफरोटॉि啍सक भार� धात ु है। इसक� �वष啍तता �वशेष 셂प से गुद� और हि蕍डय� को प्रभा�वत करती है। पीने के पानी� म प्राकृ �तक रे�डयोधम� त配व� क� मौजदगीू से संभा�वत वा镍य खतर� को देखकर द�नयाु भर के कई देश� ने यूरे�नयम के �लए, ड녍쥍यएचओू (2011) 饍वारा �दए गये पीने के पानी क� गुणव配ता का �दशा�नद�श अपनाया है, जो �क पीने के पानी म� 30 µg/L �नधा셍�रत �कया गया है। यूरे�नयम के भतलू म� �वतरण तथा पया셍वरण म� थानांतरण मह配वपूण셍 इस�लए है, 啍य��क इस त配व से पया셍वरणीय तथा वा镍य जो�खम का खतरा है। पानी म� यरे�नयमू �व�लेषण के �लये �व�लेषणा配मक तकनीक को बहुत संवेदनशील, �व�श�ट और सट�क होना चा�हए, जो क� कम मात्रा� म उपल녍ध नमूनो, तथा अꅍय त配व� क� मौजदगीू म� भी सट�क तर�के से काम कर सके। यरे�नयमू का भगभ�यू नमनोू म� जाँच के �लये �व�भꅍन �व�लेषणा配मक �व�धय� का �वकास हुवा, जो क� �भꅍन �भꅍन तकनीक� पर आधा�रत ह�। अꅍय त配व� क� उपिथ�त म� यूरे�नयम के �व�लेषण के �लए उ楍च चयना配मकता क� आव�यकता है। यरे�नयमू �व�लेषण के �लए कई स�मू तर तकनीक मौजदू ह�, जो क� काफ� क�ठन एवं थकाऊ ह�। ले�कन इनम� से अ�धकांश प्र配येक �व�लेषणा配मक तकनीक का अपना गुण और दोष है। �व�भꅍन �व�लेषण तकनीक�का तलना配मकु म쥍यांकनू �व�लेषण क� गुणव配ता को �नधा셍�रत करता है। प्रतुत शोध म� तीन �व�लेषणा配मक तकनीक� का उपयोग कर के भारतभर म� �व�भꅍन थान� से एकत्र भजलू के नमून� म� यूरे�नयम का �व�लेषण �कया गया है; यह तीन तकनीक ह�, 굍लो�रमेट्र�, आईसीपी-एईएस और 핍हो쥍टामेट्र� तकनीक। तीन� तकनीक� का प्रदश셍न, प्र�त�क्रया, संवेदनशीलता, वारंवा�रता, क� तलनाु क� गई तथा यह पाया गया �क 핍हो쥍टामे�ट्रक तकनीक स�मू तर पर �व�लेषण के �लए काफ� संवेदनशील, उपय啍तु एवं �कफायती है। 1 Preamble The concern over presence of natural radionuclides like uranium in drinking water is growing recently. The contamination of aquifers with radionuclides depends on number of factors. The geology of an area is the most important factor alongwith anthropogenic activities like mining, coal ash disposal from thermal power plants, use of phosphate fertilizers etc. Whatever may be the source, the presence of uranium in drinking waters is a matter of great concern for public health. Studies show that uranium is a chemo-toxic and nephrotoxic heavy metal. This chemo-toxicity affects the kidneys and bones in particular. Seeing the potential health hazards from natural radionuclides in drinking water, many countries worldwide have adopted the guideline activity concentration for drinking water quality recommended by the WHO (2011). For uranium, WHO has set a limit of 30 gL-1 in drinking water. The geological distribution of uranium and its migration in environment is of interest because the element is having environmental and exposure concerns. It is of great interest to use an analytical technique for uranium analysis in water which is highly sensitive especially at trace levels, specific and precise in presence of other naturally occurring major and trace metals and needs small amount of sample. Various analytical methods based on the use of different techniques have been developed in the past for the determination of uranium in the geological samples. The determination of uranium requires high selectivity due to its strong association with other elements. Several trace level wet chemistry analytical techniques have been reported for uranium determination, but most of these involve tedious and pain staking procedures, high detection limits, interferences etc. Each analytical technique has its own merits and demerits. Comparative assessment by different techniques can provide better quality control and assurance. In present study, uranium was analysed in ground water samples collected from different locations across India using three analytical techniques; fluorimetry, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The performance, response, sensitivity, reproducibility, linear range of these three methodologies were compared. It was found that the voltammetric technique was the most sensitive, efficient and economic process for trace level analyses.