Uranium in the environment

Uranium is a naturally occurring element found in rock, soil, and water, with concentrations in groundwater often exceeding several hundred µg/l without contributions from mining or the nuclear industry. The WHO recommends a maximum of 15 µg/l for drinking water due to uranium's chemical toxicity, highlighting its significance in environmental research. Natural uranium enrichment in aquifers, along with factors such as mining, milling, nuclear fuel processing, coal and oil emissions, and the use of uranium-containing phosphate fertilizers, can greatly increase uranium levels in soil and water. The first international conference on Uranium Mining and Hydrogeology (UMH I) was held in October 1995 in Freiberg, organized by the Department of Geology at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, supported by the Saxon State Ministry of Geology and Environment. The growing scientific interest led to a second conference (UMH II) in September 1998, followed by a third conference (UMH III) in September 2002, which was held in conjunction with the International Mine Water Association Symposium 2002. The reviewed papers and posters from the 2002 conference were published by Springer under the title Uranium in the aquatic environment, edited by Merkel, Planer-Friedrich, and Wolkersdorfer.