Post monsoon spatial distribution of uranium in water of Alaknanda and Ganges river

Background: Uranium poses both chemical and radiological hazard to the living system. Drinking water from river is one of the major sources of uranium intake. Dissolution of minerals, washout from rain water, rock-water interaction, agricultural run off, and industrial disposals are some of the sources of uranium in river water system. Present study was aimed to determine the uranium in the water Alaknanda and Ganges rivers and its post-monsoon spatial distribution from Nandprayag to Haridwar. Materials and Methods: River water samples were collected during the post monsoon period in pre-washed polypropylene bottles from the designated locations at both of the rivers. Samples were filtered and analyzed by fluorimetric technique. Results: The measurements showed the concentration of uranium in water of Alaknanda river varied from 3.05 µg/l to 2.53 µg/l along the downstream sampled locations with a mean value of 2.75 µg/l, whereas in water of Ganges river the concentration varied in the range 1.70 µg/l to 2.00 µg/l with a mean value of 1.86 µg/l. Conclusion: The average concentration of uranium was found significantly higher (2.75 µg/l) in water of Alaknanda river than in Ganges river the average values (1.86 µg/l) of. However, both the values were far lower than the permissible limits at the sampled locations. The values obtained in present studies were notably higher than that reported elsewhere which seems partly attributable to post monsoon contributing factors.