Abstract
The elemental concentration of uranium in flyash and coal samples has been investigated using EDXRF and WDXRF techniques. To check the contribution of flyash to uranium contamination of ground water in the Malwa region of Punjab, the flyash and coal samples are collected from Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Power Plant (GNDTPP) in the Bathinda district of Punjab state, India. It is found that uranium concentration in the flyash is below the detection limit of the XRF set up, i.e. ~ 1 ppm. It is concluded that uranium contamination in the ground water of Malwa region is not due to the Thermal Power Plant.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), lethal uranium found in soil samples. http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/lethal-uranium-found-in-soil-samples/15624.html. Accessed 5 March 2018
Groundwater contaminated, Punjab battles uranium curse. http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/medicine-and-research/groundwater-contaminated-punjab-battles-uranium-curse/article3635131.ece. Accessed 13 March 2018
Uranium poisoning of Punjab’s water spreads beyond Malwa. http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/uranium-poisoning-of-punjabs-water-spreads-beyond-malwa. Accessed 17 March 2018
Singh H, Singh J, Singh S, Bajwa BS (2013) Uranium concentration in drinking water samples using the SSNTDs. Indian J Phys 83:1039–1044
Singh J, Singh H, Singh S, Bajwa BS (2008) Estimation of uranium and radon concentration in some drinking water samples. Radiat Meas 43:S523–S526
Kochhar N, Gill GS, Tuli N, Dadwal V, Balaram V (2007) Chemical quality of ground water in relation to incidence of cancer in parts of SW Punjab, India. Environ Pollut 4:107–112
Kumar M, Prasher S, Singh S (2009) Uranium analysis in some food samples collected from Bathinda area of Punjab, India. Indian J Phys 83:1045–1050
Busch EB, Friedle A, Godfrey M, Schulte-Uebbing CEE, Smit C (2010) Metal exposure in the children of Punjab, India. Clin Med Insights Ther 2:655–661
Kurttio P, Auvinen A, Salonen L, Saha H, Pekkanen J, Makelainen I, Vaisanen BS, Penttila IM, Komulainen H (2002) Renal effects of uranium in drinking water. Environ Health Perspect 110:137–142
Kurttio P, Komulainen H, Leino A, Salonen L, Auvinen A, Saha H (2005) Bone as a possible target of chemical toxicity of natural uranium in drinking water. Environ Health Perspect 113:68–72
Alrakabi M, Singh G, Bhalla A, Kumar S, Kumar S, Srivastava A, Rai B, Singh N, Shahi JS, Mehta D (2012) Study of uranium contamination of ground water in Punjab state in India using X-ray fluorescence technique. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 294:221–227
Alam J, Akhtar MN (2011) Fly ash utilization in different sectors in Indian scenario. Int J Emerg Trends Eng Dev 1:1–14
Images for contribution from thermal power plants in Bathinda region to the total flyash production in India. http://cbri.res.in/cbrienvis/flyashinfo.php. Accessed 17 Feb 2018
Rautray TR, Behera B, Bdapanda T, Vijayan V, Panigrahi S (2009) Trace element analysis of fly ash samples by EDXRF technique. Indian J Phys 83:543–546
Kumar S, Kumar K, Gupta M (2016) Characterization of heavy metal trace elements in the fly ash from a thermal power plant. Energy Sources Part A 38:2370–2376
Bajwa BS, Kumar S, Singh S, Sahoo SK, Tripathi RM (2017) Uranium and other heavy toxic elements distribution in the drinking water samples of SW-Punjab, India. J Radiat Res Appl Sci 10:13–19
Singh LM, Kumar M, Sahoo BK, Sapra BK, Kumar R (2016) Study of radon, thoron exhalation and natural radioactivity in coal and flyash samples of Kota Superthermal Power Plant, Rajasthan, India. Radiat Prot Dosim 171:196–199
Singh M, Industrial training report on water treatment and coal testing at GNDTPP Bathinda. https://www.scribd.com/doc/95268739/Project-Report-on-Thermal-Plant. Accessed 3 Jan 2018
Source of coal being used in GNDTPP Bathinda. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110823/main7.htm. Accessed 14 Dec 2017
Browne E, Firestone RB (1986) Table of Radioactive Isotopes, edited by Shirley VS. Wiley, New York
SpectraPlus version 2.0 for S8 Tiger applications. http://www.bruker.com/en/service/education-training/training-courses/x-ray-diffraction-and-elemental-analysis/xrf-user-training/xrf-details/spectra-plus-version-2-0.html. Accessed 14 May 2017
Kumar S, Singh S, Mehta D, Garg ML, Mangal PC, Trehan PN (1989) Matrix corrections for quantitative determination of trace elements in biological samples using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. X-ray Spectr 18:207–210
Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry with the S8 Tiger. http://bruker.poznan.pl/images/stories/AXS/brochure_S8_Tiger.pdf. Accessed 2 Feb 2018
Tiwari MK, Singh AK, Sawhney KJS (2005) Sample preparation for evaluation of detection limits in X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Anal Sci 21:143–147
U.S. geological survey fact sheet (1997) FS-163-97. Accessed 26 Nov 2017
Notes on the geology of uranium. https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/1046f/report.pdf. Accessed 23 March 2018
High uranium content found in Punjab soil. https://npk101.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/india-uranium-presence-in-the-punjabsoils/. Accessed 19 March 2018
Acknowledgements
Financial funding support from the University Grant Commission (UGC), New Delhi under the Centre of Advance Study in Physics and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi, under FIST scheme. GS acknowledge the financial research funding support from Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB), New Delhi under the Young Scientist Research Award Scheme.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Singh, G., Singh, G., Rani, N. et al. Contribution of flyash from coal-fired thermal power plants to uranium contamination of ground water. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 318, 857–863 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6079-7
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6079-7