International Journal of Engineering Sciences, 2(8) August 2013, Pages: 344-349

TI Journals

International Journal of Engineering Sciences

ISSN
2306-6474

www.tijournals.com

Evaluation of Fact Character Lines Associated with Uranium

Mobility in Groundwater from Uranium Mineralized Areas
around Gubrunde, Northeastern Nigeria
A. S. Arabi *1, I. I. Funtua 2, B. B. M. Dewu 3, M. L. Garba 4, I. A. Yusuf 5, J. D. Abafoni 6, I. Garba 7
1,2,3

Centre for Energy Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello university, Zaria-Nigeria.
Department of Geology, Ahmadu Bello university, Zaria-Nigeria.
6
Department of Physics, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
7
Department of Geology, Kano university of Technology, Wudil, Kano-Nigeria.
4,5

AR TIC LE INF O

AB STR AC T

Keywords:

Total count airborne radiometry, total field aeromagnetic, residual field intensity and digital
elevation model maps were used to study the pattern of movement of soluble uranium with
groundwater around uranium mineralized areas of the Peta Gulf Syncline in north-eastern Nigeria.
Qualitative interpretation of airborne radiometric map of the area showed a very prominent
anomaly trending northeast-southwest direction. A magnetic discontinuity was also identified on
the total intensity aeromagnetic map of the area and was interpreted as Faults, trending northeastsouthwest direction, a 2-D magnetic model showed a depression in the Basement, which constitute
a graben and basement uplift that constitute a horst. The result of uranium activity concentration in
groundwater from the area showed uranium activity concentration value >30g/L recorded along
the anomaly at Kundiga (KD) and Yirmirdalang (YD) that falls on points all coinciding with these
northeast-southwest trending anomaly that is prominent on the airborne radiometric, total field
aeromagnetic and the residual total field intensity suggesting that the movement of soluble uranium
in groundwater is primarily through this anomaly (secondary porosity). Other movements of
groundwater in the area may be associated with general subsurface flow direction within the
regolith as suggested by the configured flow directions from hyraulic head configuration map of
the area.

Aeromagnetic
Total intensity
Groundwater flow
Solubility
Concentration

2013 Int. j. eng. sci. All rights reserved for TI Journals.

1.

Introduction

Ground water can dissolve soluble contaminants and carry them through subsurface materials at rates fast enough to supply significant
amounts of water with dissolved contaminants to wells or springs [1]. In order for those subsurface geologic materials to be classified as an
aquifer, some of the pores and fractures must be connected to each other [1]. Water moves through different materials at different rates,
these movements are always faster through gravel and wide fractures, slower through sand, and even slower through clay. Gravels and
sands are constitute possible aquifers; while clays not intercalated with sand usually are not aquifers.
In isotropic flow, hydraulic conductivity are always the same in all direction, while for anisotropic flows, hydraulic conductivity vary on
the direction of flow. Most common reason for this is that non-spherical particles orienting themselves with their long axes in the horizontal
direction during deposition, this can also occur if clay lense-layers run through sand or gravel substrate and in this case, the resultant effect
is an impeded vertical but not horizontal flow [1].
In this study, total count airborne radiometry, total field aeromagnetic, residual field intensity and digital elevation model maps of the study
area which is located east of the Dadin-kowa reservoir (Figure 1) were used to study the possibility and pattern of movement of soluble
uranium with groundwater around uranium mineralized areas of the Peta Gulf Syncline in north-eastern Nigeria.
Hydraulic head map of the area constructed from values of elevation at well site and water table helped in the deduction of possible general
groundwater flow within the subsurface in the area. This is of importance in understanding the dispersion pattern of solute in groundwater
and delineation of points with elevated levels of radio-elements with possible effects to human health through ionizing radiation and
chemical toxicity.

* Corresponding author.
Email address: saarabi@abu.edu.ng

Evaluation of Fact Character Lines Associated with Uranium Mobility in Groundwater from Uranium Mineralized Areas

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Internat ional Jour nal of Engineeri ng Science s, 2(8) Au gust 2013

Figure 1. Location map of part of north-eastern Nigeria showing the study area,
inset is a map of Nigeria depicting the study area (Global mapper 13.4)

2.

Materials and methods

The materials used in groundwater sample collection for analysis of mass concentration of uranium include among other things, an
environmental sampler, a global positioning system (GPS), plastic sample container, geologic map of the area. For the analysis of uranium
concentration in the samples, an include inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) was used. During results evaluation,
Global mapper version 3.4, surfer 8, total count airborne radiometry, total field aeromagnetic, residual field intensity and digital elevation
model maps of the study area were used.
Hydraulic head is the most easily measured metric of groundwater flow. At each of point of sample collection hydraulic was obtained as the
difference between the elevation and water Table. In water saturated porous media, water movement goes from an area of higher hydraulic
head to an area of lower hydraulic head. therefore, this movement has direction and of course velocity.

3.

Results and discussions

Within the subsurface, all opening below water table are often filled with water (Figure 2), while above it, water is held only by molecular
attraction surrounding surfaces of rock particles.
According to [2] comparison between uranium concentration and groundwater level in several wells in India indicates that uranium
concentration varies primarily due to recharge and discharge.
Thus, as groundwater level increases the uranium concentration also increases because the infiltrating rainfall recharge flushes the uranium
from the unsaturated zone (figure 2) which results in an increase of uranium in groundwater along with the rise in water table (see also [3]).
The uranium levels recorded at YD and KD exceeded the [4] and [5] guideline (Figure 3). Groundwater from these areas might pose health
hazards including cancer as a result of ionizing radiation from uranium in groundwater and kidney problems as a result of chemical toxicity
of uranium isotopes [6].

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Int ernational Journal of Engi neering Sc iences, 2(8) Au gust 2013

Figure 2. Schematic diagram of subsurface scenario with regards to water level and direction of flow [7]

Figure 3. Uranium concentrations in studied samples

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Internat ional Jour nal of Engineeri ng Science s, 2(8) Au gust 2013

Uranium mineralization has been reported around Zona ([8], [9], [10]) only three kilometers east of YD. The groundwater flow direction in
the study area (Figure 4) suggest that the uranium concentration in the studied water samples around YD might have originated from the
source rocks of the mineralized areas around Zona and has moved with groundwater passing through the rock across YD. Also, it might be
possible that the high uranium concentration recorded at KD might have originated from mineralized areas around Dali and Zange which
are less than three kilometers away and might have been dissolved in groundwater and swept through KD (Figure4). The Superimposing of
uranium concentration contour on geologic map of the study area (Figure 4) revealed that elevated uranium concentration was obtained in
groundwater from the undifferentiated Precambrian gneisses, though these are not the localities reported to host uranium mineralization.

Figure 4. Map of configuration of water table and direction

of groundwater flow in the study area (after [11])

The alignment of locations with high uranium concentration in groundwater (>30g/L) as represented by yellow star on Figure 4 and areas
reported to have uranium occurrence (white dots) might not be a mere coincidence. Careful study of the total count aero radiometric, total
field aeromagnetic and residual field intensity maps (Figures 5a, b and c) of the area all showing a prominent northeast-southwest trending
anomaly (fault/fracture) suggests that elevated uranium concentration might have had an easy passage through this structure on which all
the elevated areas and locations with uranium occurrences fall.
According to [13], ground radiometric survey of the area showed that uranium mineralization is generally located on the Gubrunde horst
(Figure 4) and the mineralization is primarily associated with rhyolite rock, which extensively extruded as veins into pegmatite and granite
gneiss. According to [13], high uranium amplitudes were observed along this anomaly with the highest value of 53ppm around Gubrunde
town.

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Int ernational Journal of Engi neering Sc iences, 2(8) Au gust 2013

Figure 5. (a) Total count aero-radiometric , (b) Total field aero magnetic
(c) Residual field intensity and (d) Digital elevation model maps of the study area ([12]).

4.

Conclusion

The results obtained in this study showed that uranium concentrations in ground water was highest around TD and KD which incidentally
fall on a northeast-southwest trending fault/fracture on which also reported uranium mineralized areas falls. Based on groundwater flow
map constructed from hydraulic head of the area, [14] reported that groundwater flow directions as a result of hydraulic gradient varies
widely in the area.
This study has integrated the total count aero radiometric, total field aero magnetic, residual field intensity and digital elevation model maps
of the area to evaluate the likelihood of groundwater flow through structure such as faults, joints and cracks (secondary porosity) and
conclude that the distribution of uranium in groundwater of the area especially in area with elevated concentrations (>30g/L) is primarily
through a northeast-southwest trending fault that prominently appeared on all the maps utilized. The flow of groundwater with soluble
uranium would be faster through this fault especially if dewatering is much compared to flow through regolith whose voids are
intergranular.

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