Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Raidioactivity

Mains level: Water Pollution

Radioactive pollution of water is newly emerging but is of grave concern for water pollution and human health.

Radioactivity is the phenomenon of spontaneous emission of particles or waves from the unstable nuclei of some elements.
There are three types of radioactive emissions: Alpha, Beta and Gamma.
Alpha particles are positively charged He atoms, beta particles are negatively charged electrons and gamma rays are neutral electromagnetic radiations.
Radioactive elements are naturally found in the earth’s crust.

Natural: Percolation of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) from the soil sediments to the aquifer causes groundwater contamination.
Man-made: Anthropogenic sources of such pollution include- nuclear weapon investigation, nuclear calamities, nuclear powerhouses and dumping of radioactive waste.

Uranium, thorium and actinium are three NORM series that contaminate water resources.
A number of radionuclides are found in surface and subsurface waters, among which 3H, 14C, 40K, 210Pb, 210Po, 222Rn, 226Ra, 228Ra, 232Th and 234,235,238U are common.
Strontium-90, Caesium-137, etc are also formed by nuclear reactors, along with numerous unnecessary radioisotopes wastes.
40K and 7Be are the most commonly found radioactive elements in the sludge generated in sewage treatment plants.
Nuclear reactors produce radioisotopes (Cobalt-60, Iridium-192, etc) that hand out as sources of gamma radiation in radiotherapy and numerous industrial appliances.

Oceans and seas are the natural repositories of naturally occurring uranium. It is found in the form of uranyl carbonate ion.
A significant concentration of uranium is supposed to be found in the greater salinity of the marine water.
40K (Radioactive Potassium) is also found in considerable concentration in the marine environment.

Radioactivity is measured in Becquerel (SI unit) or in Curie.
Energy absorbed per unit mass is measured by Gray, while the unit Sievert measures the quantity of radiation absorbed by human tissues.
A small amount of radiation is found in all types of water but the extended amount of radiation is harmful to human health.
Radioactivity in drinking water can be determined by a gross alpha test.

Radioactive elements have an effect on the environment and can cause a risk to human healthiness if inhaled, injected or exposed.
Human tissues absorb radiation through polluted water and foodstuff, which can cause serious health risks.
High doses of radiation can cause acute radiation syndrome or cutaneous radiation injury.
Exposure to radiation causes various disorders in human physiology, including cancer, leukaemia, genetic mutations, osteonecrosis, cataracts and chromosomal disruption.

Radioactive Pollution in Water

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