Radiological and chemical toxicity due to ingestion of uranium through drinking water in the environment of Bangalore, India.

Groundwater samples collected from 96 bore wells in the study area (city of Bangalore) were analysed for concentration of natural uranium using laser-induced fluorimetry. The risk to the population of the region associated with radiological and chemical toxicity of uranium due to its ingestion through drinking water over a lifetime was estimated. The concentration of uranium was found to be in the range 0.136 to 2027.5 μg L(-1) with an average value of 92.42 μg L(-1). In the present study, about 61% of the samples show concentrations of uranium within the safe limit of 30 μg L(-1) as set by the world health organisation. The radiological risk estimated as lifetime cancer risk is in the range 4.3  ×  10(-7) to 6.4  ×  10(-3) with an average of 2.9  ×  10(-4). The chemical toxicity risk measured as lifetime average daily dose is found to range from 0.005 to 75.42 μg kg(-1) d(-1). The reference dose estimated as 1.12 μg kg(-1) d(-1) was used to assess the chemical toxicity. The results indicate that the chemical toxicity due to ingestion of uranium through drinking water is of more concern than the radiological toxicity. The present study, being the first of its kind in this region, will augment the database of uranium in groundwater.