Uranium is known for both chemical and radiological
toxicity. East Singhbhum is known for uranium mining, and radionuclides
can be expected in its groundwater. Groundwater was collected around
two proposed sites of Bagjata and Banduhurang and analysed for U(nat).
The study reveals that the U(nat) varied from <0.5–11.2 and <0.5–27.5 µg.L
-1 for the Bagjata and Banduhurang mining areas, respectively.
The excess lifetime cancer risk due to the consumption of uranium
in water was calculated to be in the range of 8.81 × 10-6 to
4.34 × 10-5 and 3.36 × 10-6 to 9.55 × 10-5 for
the two study areas, which are within the acceptable cancer risk
value of 1 × 10-4. However, the risk at a few locations
is very close to the threshold value. The chemical risk evaluated
by the hazard quotient was found to be within 0.05–0.23 and 0.02–0.6
for the two study areas and did not exceed the limit of 1. Thus,
the concentration of U(nat) in the groundwater presently does not
pose any serious threat to local people but must be monitored periodically
and adequate actions must be taken in the few areas with elevated
levels of uranium in the groundwater.