Uranium content in groundwater by laser fluorimetry; method validation and dose assessment

In this study, the total uranium concentration was determined in groundwater samples used for irrigation and/or drinking purposes and collected from private wells in Al Sharqiya region, Saudi Arabia. The uranium concentrations were measured by laser fluorimetry preceded by radiochemical treatment to eliminate the quenching effect due to the high total dissolved solids content in the groundwater samples. For method validation, some of the measured samples were analyzed for uranium isotopic activities and measured by alpha spectrometry. The results of the uranium concentrations obtained by laser fluorimetry and alpha spectrometry were in good agreement. The uranium concentrations in all the samples were below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limit of 30 μg L-1. Two different approaches were followed to assess the annual effective dose from the ingestion of uranium in the analyzed groundwater samples. The annual effective doses determined by the two approaches were found to be in agreement, and varied from 2.9 to 10.2 μSv y-1, with a mean value of 6.1 μSv y-1, which is far below the WHO recommended level of 100 μSv/y. The modified laser fluorimetric procedure was found to be a good tool compared with other techniques for direct measurement of uranium concentrations in high total dissolved solids groundwater samples at low levels.