Disposition of Uranium and Other Heavy Metals in the Groundwater in the Baran District of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

People are vulnerable to chemical and radiological risks when consuming water tainted with heavy metals. Because many people living in the Baran district of Rajasthan, India, rely on groundwater for drinking, they are more susceptible to heavy metal toxicity. The main aim of the study was to analyze the change in concentrations of metal content in groundwater samples before and after the monsoon season, which may be due to various human activities, pesticides, fertilizers, industrial effluents, and vehicles. In this context, 200 groundwater samples from 100 villages throughout 8 tehsils in the Baran district of Rajasthan, India, were examined for heavy metals, such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), cobalt (Co), and aluminum (Al), as well as uranium, before and after the monsoon. The light-emitting diode (LED) fluorimetry technique was used to analyze uranium concentration in groundwater, and an atomic absorption spectrometer was employed to access heavy metals. As per the safe limits recommended by various protection organizations, the health risks associated with heavy metals were examined and correlated with uranium content. According to the research, Pb, Al, and Co concentrations in the Baran district vary before and after the monsoon season. The U, Fe, and Pb concentrations were found to have a weakly positive correlation during the premonsoon season. Furthermore, following the monsoon season, U contents increased in about 89% of samples; the highest increase was 5.4 ppb. Conversely, uranium and other atoms (i.e., Cu, Zn, Co, Fe, and Al) had a mild negative association in the pre- and postmonsoon periods, which could be attributed to the various origin metals in the region and groundwater. However, a noteworthy association was discovered among U, Pb, and Al following the monsoon. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to categorize types of correlations between heavy metals.