The geologic profile of the western United States lends itself to naturally elevated levels of arsenic and uranium in the groundwater and can be aggravated by mining. The Navajo Nation, located in the American Southwest, is the largest contiguous Native American Nation and has over a 100-year legacy of hard rock mining. Concentrations of uranium and arsenic above drinking water standards in unregulated water sources pose various human-health risks to the Navajo Nation due to the lack of public water infrastructure that exists. Although high natural background concentrations may occur in some environments, anthropogenic contamination concerns are especially troublesome for the Navajo Nation, where past uranium mining activity and natural sources affect unregulated water supplies. Community engaged research on uranium and arsenic present in unregulated water wells in the western portion of the Navajo Nation has been a focus of the Ingram laboratory since 2003. These studies have provided important information, particularly for uranium and arsenic, to the communities and the Navajo tribal leaders.

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纳瓦霍地区的铀和砷不受管制的水问题

美国西部的地质概况使地下水中砷和铀的含量自然升高，并且采矿会加剧这种情况。纳瓦霍族（Navajo Nation）位于美国西南部，是最大的毗连美洲原住民民族，拥有超过100年的硬岩开采历史。由于缺乏公共水基础设施，未经监管的水源中高于饮用水标准的铀和砷浓度对纳瓦霍族构成了各种人类健康风险。尽管在某些环境中可能会出现很高的自然本底浓度，但是人为污染问题对于纳瓦霍族尤其麻烦，那里过去的铀矿开采活动和自然资源影响着不受监管的水供应。