Isotopic Insights into Redox Processes Driving Uranium Distribution in Eastern Karnataka Groundwater.

ABSTRACT: Uranium (U) contamination in groundwater becomes a critical concern when its concentration exceeds permissible limits. Groundwater samples (n = 46) from Eastern Karnataka exhibit U concentrations ranging from 1.9 to 2744 μg/L, with 78% and 66% of sites exceeding the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), India thresholds, respectively. These high U levels are primarily geogenic. The δ²³⁸U and U activity ratios (²³⁴U/²³⁸U) were determined on the same set of samples to understand the redox processes governing groundwater U cycling. The δ²³⁸U isoscape displays a variation of 1.3‰ from -0.95‰ to 0.3‰, providing evidence of a generally oxidizing groundwater environment, with localized U-

SUBMITTER: Mitra A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12302908 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature