Risk assessment due to intake of heavy metals through the ingestion of groundwater around two proposed uranium mining areas in Jharkhand, India

Heavy metal pollution of water resources can be apprehended in East Singhbhum region which is a highly mineralised zone with extensive mining of copper, uranium and other minerals. Ten groundwater samples were collected from each site and the heavy metal analysis was done by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Analysis of the results of the study reveals that the concentration of iron, manganese, zinc, lead, copper and nickel in groundwater of Bagjata mining area ranged 0.06–5.3 mg l − 1, 0.01–1.3 mg l − 1, 0.02–8.2 mg l − 1, 1.4–28.4 μg l − 1, 0.78–20.0 μg l − 1 and 1.05–20.1 μg l − 1, respectively. In case of Banduhurang mining area, the range was 0.04–2.93 mg l − 1, 0.02–1.1 mg l − 1, 0.01–4.68 mg l − 1, 1.04–33.21 μg l − 1, 1.24–18.7 μg l − 1 and 1.06–14.58 μg l − 1, respectively. The heavy metals were found to be below the drinking water standards (IS:10500 1993) except iron (0.3 mg l − 1) and manganese (0.1 mg l − 1). The hazard quotients of the heavy metals for drinking water were below 1 posing no threat due to intake of water to the people for both the areas.