Uranium in Kosovo's drinking water.
The results of this paper are an initiation to capture the drinking water and/or groundwater elemental situation in the youngest European country, Kosovo. We aim to present a clear picture of the natural uranium concentration in drinking water and/or groundwater as it is distributed to the population of Kosovo. Nine hundred and fifty-one (951) drinking water samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The results are the first countrywide interpretation of the uranium concentration in drinking water and/or groundwater, directly following the Kosovo war of 1999. More than 98% of the samples had uranium concentrations above 0.01 μg L(-1), which was also our limit of quantification. Concentrations up to 166 μg L(-1) were found with a mean of 5 μg L(-1) and median 1.6 μg L(-1) were found. Two point six percent (2.6%) of the analyzed samples exceeded the World Health Organization maximum acceptable concentration of 30 μg L(-1), and 44.2% of the samples exceeded the 2 μg L(-1) German maximum acceptable concentrations recommended for infant food preparations.
Karl-Franzens-Universität, Stremayrgasse 16, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
Fatlume
F
Berisha
Walter
W
Goessler
D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D063826:Kosovo; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014878:Water Pollution, Radioactive / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D060766:Drinking Water; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium
Drinking water; Groundwater; ICPMS; Kosovo; Uranium