Uranium in the Environment

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Uranium is a naturally occurring element found in rock, soil, and water, with concentrations in groundwater sometimes exceeding several hundred µg/l, independent of mining or industrial activities. The WHO recommends a drinking water limit of 15 µg/l, highlighting uranium's chemical toxicity and its significance in environmental research. Natural uranium enrichment in aquifers, alongside contributions from mining, milling, nuclear fuel processing, coal and oil emissions, and uranium-containing fertilizers, can significantly elevate uranium levels in soil and water. The first international conference on Uranium Mining and Hydrogeology (UMH I) took place in Freiberg in October 1995, organized by the Department of Geology at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, with support from the Saxon State Ministry of Geology and Environment. Due to growing scientific interest, a second conference (UMH II) was held in September 1998, followed by a third conference (UMH III) in September 2002, which was jointly organized with the International Mine Water Association (IMWA) Symposium 2002. The reviewed papers and posters from the 2002 conference were published by Springer, focusing on uranium in the aquatic environment.