  The uranium containing phosphatic shale sub surface samples collected from
Bijawar region Madhya Pradesh (M.P.), India as a part of the uranium
exploration programme of the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and
Research (AMD), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) were characterized by a
variety of molecular spectroscopic techniques such as photoluminiscence (PL),
time resolved photoluminiscence spectroscopy (TRPL), X-ray absorption near edge
spectroscopy (XANES), Raman spectroscopy and structural techniques such as
X-ray diffraction (XRD) to identify the oxidation state, physical and chemical
form of uranium in this region. Oxidation state analysis by fluorescence
spectroscopy revealed majority of the samples in U(VI) oxidation state. The
most abundant form of uranium was identified as uranate (UO66-) ion, as a
substituent of Ca++ in Ca5(PO4)3F, Flourapatite (FAP). Two uranium species in
U(VI) and U(IV) state; (UO2)2+ adsorbed on silica and uranium oxide species
(UO2) were also identified. The study provided baseline information on the
speciation of uranium in Bijawar region.
