Transfer Rates of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th for E. globulus, A. mearnsii, H. filipendula and Hazardous Effects of the Usage of Medicinal Plants From Around Gold Mine Dump Environs.

Victor Tshivhase,Manny Mathuthu,Thulani Dlamini,Raymond Njinga

doi:10.3390/ijerph121215021

Victor Tshivhase, Manny Mathuthu + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph121215021

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Abstract

Medicinal plant consumption can be a source of human exposure to radioactive elements such as 238U and 232Th, which can lead to internal radiation doses. The uptake of 238U and 232Th from soils to the leaf samples of three different medicinal plant species (Eucalyptus globulus, Acacia mearnsii and Hyparrhenia filipendula) from the purlieu of the Princess gold mine dump, an abandoned contaminated tailings storage site (TSS), located at longitude 27°55′00″E and latitude 26°09′30″S in Davidsonville (Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, South Africa) was measured. This was done using ICP-MS spectrometry and substantial differences were observed in the soil-plant transfer factor (TF) values between these radionuclides. The plant species E. globulus exhibited the highest uptake of 238U, with an average TF of 3.97, while that of H. filipendula was 0.01 and the lowest TF of 0.15 × 10−2 was measured for A. mearnsii. However, in the case of 232Th, the highest average TF was observed for A. mearnsii (0.29), followed by E. globulus (0.10) and lowest was measured for H. filipendula (0.27 × 10−2). The ratio of TF average value i.e., 238U to 232Th in the soil-plant leaves was 38.05 for E. globulus, 0.01 for A. mearnsii and 4.38 for H. filipendula.

Highlights

In Africa, the therapeutic use of plants in traditional health practices is common and widespread, predating the introduction of antibiotics and other modern drugs [1,2]
This study aimed to investigate the soil-to-plant transfer factors of 238 U and 232 Th and the uptake in the abandoned Princess gold mining tailings storage sites (TSS) since there are no TF data for these plant species
TF, used as a parameter for the accumulation of radionuclides by plant leaves or the transfer of radionuclides from soil to plant leaves has been evaluated for three medicinal plant species (Eucalyptus globulus, Acacia mearnsii and Hyparrhenia filipendula)

Summary

Introduction

In Africa, the therapeutic use of plants in traditional health practices is common and widespread, predating the introduction of antibiotics and other modern drugs [1,2]. Olajuyigbe and Afolayan [6] studied the medicinal potential of Acacia mearnsii and revealed that the plant is medicinal. The leaves of this plant are widely used by traditional healers in South Africa in the treatment of microbial infections. A. mearnsii, commonly known as Black Wattle tree, grows to about. The young branchlets are silky and the plant is widespread in lowlands, open forest, cleared land, heathy woodland, and on dry, shallow soils [7,8].

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