Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2026
09:23
Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability
Published on: June 21, 2015
URANIUM QUANTIFICATION IN GROUNDWATER AND HEALTH RISK FROM ITS INGESTION IN AND AROUND TIRUVANNAMALAI, TAMIL NADU,
Durai Ganesh1, G Senthil Kumar2, Laith Ahmed Najam3
1PG & Research Department of Physics, Government Arts College, Tiruvannamalai, Tami Nadu 606603, India.
Radiation Protection Dosimetry
|March 1, 2020
Summary
Drinking water sources near Arunachala mountain in Tamil Nadu were analyzed for contaminants. The study found uranium levels and other parameters were within safe limits, indicating the water is safe for consumption.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Radiochemistry
Background:
- Contaminated drinking water poses significant carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks.
- Assessing water quality is crucial for public health, especially in areas with potential environmental exposures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the contamination levels, specifically uranium, in drinking water sources around Arunachala mountain, Tamil Nadu.
- To determine the associated health risks, including carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects, from consuming this water.
Main Methods:
- Collected drinking water samples from 20 distinct locations.
- Measured key physio-chemical parameters: pH, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids.
- Quantified uranium concentration using an LED fluorimeter.
Main Results:
- Physio-chemical parameters were determined for all samples.
- Uranium concentrations were measured across the 20 sites.
- Calculated health risk indicators such as excess cancer risk, average daily dose, hazard quotient, and annual effective dose.
Conclusions:
- All analyzed drinking water samples from aquifers around Arunachala mountain were found to be safe for consumption.
- The calculated health risk parameters were below the maximum permissible limits.
- The study confirms the safety of local drinking water sources regarding uranium contamination.
Related Concept Videos
02:36Nuclear Power
Controlled nuclear fission reactions are used to generate electricity. Any nuclear reactor that produces power via the fission of uranium or plutonium by bombardment with neutrons has six components: nuclear fuel consisting of fissionable material, a nuclear moderator, a neutron source, control rods, reactor coolant, and a shield and containment system.
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
03:20Nuclear Transmutation
Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed protons being...
02:59Biological Effects of Radiation
All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they produce ions...
01:27The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements
Elements are the smallest units of matter that cannot be broken down further by chemical processes. There are 118 known elements, but not all of these are naturally occurring, and only a few of them are essential for life. Living matter is composed primarily of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, with smaller amounts of other elements like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Other elements are also necessary for life but only in trace amounts.
Periodic Table Provides Information...
Periodic Table Provides Information...
01:27Urinary Tract Calculi IV: Nutrition Therapy and Prevention
Management of renal calculi focuses on effective strategies like tailored nutrition and hydration therapy. Adjusting diet and fluid intake reduces stone formation and recurrence, making these interventions simple yet powerful in kidney stone prevention and management.Understanding Kidney StonesKidney stones form when calcium, oxalate, uric acid, and cystine concentrate and crystallize in urine. Factors contributing to their formation include genetic predisposition, certain medical conditions,...
01:25Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium
Microorganisms play a critical role in the transformation and immobilization of uranium in contaminated environments through four main pathways: bioreduction, biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biomineralization. These mechanisms reduce uranium’s toxicity and prevent its migration through groundwater systems, offering sustainable approaches for in situ bioremediation.Bioreduction of UraniumBioreduction is driven by anaerobic bacteria such as certain strains of Geobacter and Shewanella, which use...