Two major US aquifers contaminated by natural uranium
Monday, August 17, 2015 - 15:30
in Earth & Climate
Nearly two million people in California and the Great Plains live above aquifers contaminated by uranium at concentrations up to 89 percent of the EPA standard, a new study shows. The Central Valley aquifer and the High Plains aquifer are affected. Researchers found that uranium naturally occurring in soil is being released by bacteria and chemical processes triggered by nitrate, a groundwater pollutant originating mainly from chemical fertilizers and animal waste.