ASSESSMENT OF WATER AND AIR CONTAMINATION IN THE SURROUNDING OF UCIL, JADUGUDA MINE, JHARKHAND (INDIA)

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1 ASSESSMENT OF WATER AND AIR CONTAMINATION IN THE SURROUNDING OF UCIL, JADUGUDA MINE, JHARKHAND (INDIA) Suresh Kumar* and K.P. Tiwary Department of Applied Physics, Birla Institute of Technology, Patna, Bihar, (INDIA) Received July 17, 2008 Accepted December 1, 2008 ABSTRACT An extensive study for ground water contamination and air contamination was made in and around the uranium corporation of India Ltd. Jaduguda, Jharkhand. Uranium mines are major roots for producing and spreading radioactive elements and other pollutants that ultimately cause hazardous impact on the living beings of its surroundings. In this work we have selected some villages situated 10 km in the surrounding of UCIL, Jaduguda Mining area and various parameters like air-gamma dose rate, 222 Rn concentration, Relative humidity etc., in air were measured. The measurement was carried out by an equipment Alpha guard. This work also consists of a thorough study of some important physio-chemical parameters of ground water in Turamdih and Bandhurang open cast mine region of UCIL, Jaduguda. The 222 Rn concentration was observed in above mention village areas are within the limit i.e., lower than 600Bq/m 3 (ICRP 65). Key Words : Alpha guard, Air-gamma dose rate, 222 Rn concentration INTRODUCTION India is one of the leading mining countries in the world in terms of the overall tonnage of the raw ore materials handled as well as the number of people engaged in various types of underground and open cast mining activities 1. Uranium mine has contributed to both of the development of nuclear weapon and nuclear power plants. There are Six Uranium Mines in the State of Jharkhand which are Jaduguda, Narwapahar, Bhatin, Bagjata, Turamdih and Bandhurang open cast mine and they are managed by UCIL (Uranium Corporation of India Limited), the government enterprise of India. The area around mines is mountainous land * Author for correspondence 472 where the aborigines have lived. Aborigines were deprived of their own land because Uranium is discovered in their land and polluted with radioactivity 6,7. In the mean time mill- tailings after Uranium was removed reach to a huge amount every year that has been thrown into tailing ponds by pipeline in liquid form. Besides, the mine tailings also occur, and the quantity reaches 10 times of the mill- tailings. They are left in surroundings without any countermeasure. We have tried to measure the Contamination in air and water in the surroundings of these mines. METHODOLOGY There are several methods available for the measurement of Concentration of Radon (Bq/m 3 ) and Gamma (Dose rate) in nsvh -1 in

2 dwellings. All measurement are based primarily on the detection of the radioactivity associated with them. Two types of methods are commonly used. They are Grab sampling and Continuous sampling method. Grab sampling method also consists of three techniques that are Ionization method, Scintillation method and Electron deposition method 3,4,5. The Uranium is a natural Radionuclide and is not produced by human beings. The natural Uranium is 238 U and its half-life is 4.5 billion years i.e., almost equal to the age of the earth. 238 U itself is a radioactive nuclide and repeat to decay one after another. Radionuclide 222 Rn which is noble gas produced by the decay of their immediate respective parent nuclide 226 Ra which comes from the decay of 238 U. The decay product of 222 Rn are the radioactive isotopes of Polonium, Lead, Bismuth 2. Radon decay products are divided into two groups. (i) Short- lived Radon daughter i.e., 218 Po, 214 Pb, 214 Bi and (ii) Long lived Radon daughter i.e., 210 Po, 210 Pb, 210 Bi. Then, finally becomes a 206 Pb after changing 14 kinds of radioactive nuclides. Fig. 1 : Decay scheme of Uranium Series RESULTS AND DISCUSSION concentration, temperature, R.H and Pressure Alpha Guard was used for the at different locations around Jaduguda measurement of 222 Rn concentration and mining area from Oct 2004 to June 2006, Gamma (Dose rate) in dwellings. This which is shown in Table 1. The graphical equipment is based on the Principle of representation of Gamma and Radon Ionization method and it was German made Concentration for October 2004, April 2005, (Genitron Instrument, GmbH) having model June 2005, October 2005 for different no. T-EF, S/N Our measurement villages have been shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, consists of gamma (Dose rate), radon Fig. 3, Fig. 4 respectively. 473

3 Table 1 : Measurement consist of dose rate, radon conc., temp, hand pressure at various locations of Jadguda. Date Location Dose Rate nsvh Rn Con.(Bq /m 3 ) Temp. ( o C) R.H. ( %) 5/10/04 Chatikocha field C 89% 996 Dungridih South C 78% 998 Dungridih North C 78% 997 Tilaytand Field C 87% 998 Tilaytand Backyard C 89% 996 Rakha Colony C 68% 997 Security Barrack of UCIL C 67% /04/05 Chatikocha Field Dungridih South Dungridih North Tilaytand Field Tilaytand Backyard Rakha Colony Security Barrack of UCIL /06/05 Chatikocha Field Dungridih South Pressure (mbar) Dungridih North Tilaytand Field Tilaytand Backyard Rakha Colony /10/05 Chatikocha Field C 48% 1004 Dungridih South C 68% 1004 Dungridih North C 68% 1004 Tilaytand Field C 61% 1005 Tilaytand Backyard C 65% 1001 Rakha Colony C 80% 1002 Security Barrack (UCIL) C 60%

4 Journal of Environmental Research And Development Vol. 3 No. 2, October-December 2008 Fig. 1 : Gamma and radon concentration in Oct Fig. 2 : Shows gamma and radon concentration in April Fig. 3 : Gamma and radon concentration in June

5 Gamma(nSvh-1) and Radon(Bq/m3) Chatikocha Field Dungridih South Dungridih North Tilaytand Field Tilaytand Backyard Rakha Colony Security Barrack Fig. Fig.4 4 : Gamma and Radon radon Concentration concentration in Oct.2005 in Gamma Alpha From our study it is clear that Radon concentration in air depends upon the Humidity. At this season the pores of soil were closed so the Radon was trapped into Relative humidity. In the month of April the land and does not flow into the air due to 2005, 222 Rn concentration in the area of R.H. and the flow of radon was stopped. Dungridih South was higher than that of the We have also collected water samples other season, which is shown in the Table 1 from Hand pump and Well water of 14 because at that time climate of this area was different villages surrounding the Turamdih fully dry. In the month of June Rn concentration in Tilaytand field was low as the field of this area was covered with water. So, Relative Humidity acted on this place is related with 222 Rn Concentration. Similarly and Bandhurang opencast mine area and the analysis had been done in the CMRI Dhanbad, by Chemical method. We have measured 10 Physio-chemical parameters (D.O, BOD, TSS, TDS, PH, Hardness, in the month of October 2005, Rn Calcium, Magnesium, Chloride, Alkalinity) concentration in Rakha colony was higher of these samples in the month of November than other locations because Radon The results are given below in concentration is related with Relative Table 2. Table 2 : Some physicochemical parameters in the month of November 2006 Location ph D.O. Keruadungri Keruadungri (Wellwater) Kachha village 7.2 B.O.D TSS TDS Hardness Ca Mg Chloride Alkal inity

6 Sima Nala D/S Kharkhai river U/S Babudih Dhatkidih (Well water) Chota Talsa Bara Talsa Turamdih village Kudada village Nandup Sima Nala U/S Seema Nala and Kharkhai river The water analysis also shows some facts that are clear from the table no.2 shown above. In Kudada and Nandup Village Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) was found high because these villages are situated near the Tailing pond area of UCIL (Turamdih) and it can be concluded that the amount of TDS alkalinity of would be higher in the region which are close to tailing ponds. Hardness of Dhatkidih village Well Water was high because the water of this well was not used for drinking near the mine. 477 since last many years by the villagers and it has been used by the villagers for throwing garbage. It is also observed that the Hardness of Chota Talsa and Kachha village was slightly high because it is near the mine. The Sima Nala is found high because it flows inside the Mine. In the similar way one can see the alkalinity of Kachha village which is high as it is situated

7 CONCLUSION We have collected a number of samples of water from different villages situated near by the mining area of Turamdih and Bandhurang open cast mine. The physiochemical parameters were analysed in CMRI, Dhanbad and the data observed were found under the background level. The measurement of Radon Concentration, Gamma, Temperature, Relative Humidity, etc in different seasons in air were taken in the surrounding of Jaduguda mining area of UCIL. Radon concentration is related with relative Humidity. These measurements were based on Ionization method and the measured values were found below the background level ( ICRP 65). ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Author would like to thank Dr. R.K. Tiwary, Scientist Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research for his kind co-oporation in the measurement of water analysis of Turamdih and Bandhurang opencast Uranium Mine samples. We also acknowledge Mr. Jaisingh Meena, Scientific Assistant of BARC and Mr. N.M. Soren, Scientific Assistant of UCIL for their cooperation in the measurement of Gamma and Radon Concentration around Uranium Mining area of Jaduguda. REFERENCES 1. Nair N.B., Radon Measurement in Some Underground Non-Uranium Mines in India, Bulletin of Radiation Protection, 17 (3and 4), 25-28, (1994). 2. KOIDE and Hiroaki, radioactive contamination around Jadugoda uranium mine in India, Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, 27, 1-15, (2004). 3. Porstendorfer J., Properties and Behaviour of Radon and Thoron and their Decay Products in the Air, J. Aerosol Sci, 25(2), , (1994). 4. Jha Giridhar, Measurement of Integrated Concentration of Radon in Uranium, Bulletin of Radiation Protection, 17(3 and 4), 9-12, (1994). 5. Tsivoglou, E.C and Ayer H.C., Estimation of radon in Uranium mines and control by ventilation Archives of Industrial hygiene and occupational medicine, 8, 125, (1953). 6. Gillmore G.K., Philips P., Denman A., Sperrin M., and Pearse G., Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 49, 281, (2001). 7. Denman A.R, Eatough J.P., Gillmore G., and Phillips P.S, Assessment of Health Risks To Skin and Lung of Elevated Radon Level in Abandoned Mines, Health Physics, 85,733, (2003). Environment is God s gift, preserve it 478