Uptake of radionuclides by a common reed ( Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.) grown in the vicinity of the former uranium mine at Žirovski vrh

Abstract

From uranium mining areas, in particular, the radionuclides are usually discharged to the environment during the mining and milling process. At the former uranium mine Žirovski vrh, Slovenia, mine waste and mill tailings were deposited at the Jazbec site and the Boršt site, respectively. Plants grown in soils contaminated with the seepage waters from tailings may represent radiological concern if radionuclides from the uranium decay chain are transferred into the food chain. Uranium is usually accumulated in the roots and translocated to the shoots in limited amounts. Uranium plant accumulators are usually plants from Brassicaceae and Poaceae families. A common reed ( Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.), a tall perennial grass, growing in a wetland habitats, accumulates metals in the above-ground parts. It may be used for phytoremediation of uranium-contaminated soils, because of high biomass production and high metal-accumulation potential. Preliminary results of radionuclide contents measured in such plants, growing on the deposit tailings are presented. A common reed, that was grown on the Boršt tailings pile accumulated 8.6 ± 8 mBq/g dry weight (d.w.) and 2.4 ± 2 mBq/g dry weight (d.w.) of 238U in leaves and stems, respectively. In the paper, activity concentrations of other nuclides, i.e. 226Ra, 210Pb and 40K are also shown and discussed.