Derivation of ecotoxicity thresholds for uranium

Sheppard, S. C.; Sheppard, Marsha I.; Gallerand, Marie-Odile; Sanipelli, B.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2004.05.015

Cited by 209 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Rufyikiri et al (2004b) suggested that at the U levels tested, the fraction of U in the soil solution was probably extremely low due principally to the pH of the soil and were therefore not threatening for plant development. This is similar to previous observations and is in accordance with U ecotoxicity thresholds of 250 mg kg À1 dry soil proposed to be protective for terrestrial plants (Sheppard et al, 2005). The root colonisation of AM plants was high and typical intraradical structures were observed at all U levels and did not vary among them.…”

Section: Influence Of Am Fungi On Root-to-shoot U Translocationsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…In a toxicological context, it is, however, not the radioactivity of U that poses the biggest problem, as the most abundant U isotopes are only very weakly radioactive. Instead, it is the strongly acute chemical toxicity of U that is of most concern (Sheppard et al, 2005). At numerous sites, the improper storage of U-rich wastes has led to U contamination of the surrounding environment, as U can be dispersed in soil by run-off and dispersed through the air by wind.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on uranium accumulation by plants

Boulois

Joner

Leyval

et al. 2008

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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Contamination by uranium (U) occurs principally at U mining and processing sites. Uranium can have tremendous environmental consequences, as it is highly toxic to a broad range of organisms and can be dispersed in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Remediation strategies of U-contaminated soils have included physical and chemical procedures, which may be beneficial, but are costly and can lead to further environmental damage. Phytoremediation has been proposed as a promising alternative, which relies on the capacity of plants and their associated microorganisms to stabilize or extract contaminants from soils. In this paper, we review the role of a group of plant symbiotic fungi, i.e. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which constitute an essential link between the soil and the roots. These fungi participate in U immobilization in soils and within plant roots and they can reduce root-to-shoot translocation of U. However, there is a need to evaluate these observations in terms of their importance for phytostabilization strategies.

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Section: Influence Of Am Fungi On Root-to-shoot U Translocationsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on uranium accumulation by plants

Boulois

Joner

Leyval

et al. 2008

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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“…Growth depressions are not uncommon in mycorrhizal plants (Peng et al, 1993;Graham and Abbott, 2000), and are usually believed to result from carbon drain to the AM fungus that exceeds growth benefits from improved mineral nutrition (Johnson et al, 1997). In addition, U is known to be highly toxic to plants (Fellows et al, 1998), and the predicted no-effect concentration for chemical toxicity of U to terrestrial plants was proposed as 250 mg U kg À1 dry soil (Sheppard et al, 2005). Although soil U concentration was lower than this value in present study, U accumulated in roots of P. vittata to such high concentration could also possibly lead to U phytotoxicity, and thus other explanation of growth depression by AMF could possibly be U toxicity due to AM-mediated enhanced U concentrations in roots.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation on uranium and arsenic accumulation by Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata L.) from a uranium mining-impacted soil

2006

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A glasshouse experiment was conducted to investigate U and As accumulation by Chinese brake fern, Pteris vittata L., in association with different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) from a U and As contaminated soil. The soil used contains 111 mg U kg À1 and 106 mg As kg À1. P. vittata L. was inoculated with each of three AMF, Glomus mosseae, Glomus caledonium and Glomus intraradices. Two harvests were made during plant growth (two and three months after transplanting). Mycorrhizal colonization depressed plant growth particularly at the early stages. TF (transfer factor) values for As from soil to fronds were higher than 1.0, while those for roots were much lower. Despite the growth depressions, AM colonization had no effect on tissue As concentrations. Conversely, TF values for U were much higher for roots than for fronds, indicating that only very small fraction of U was translocated to fronds (less than 2%), regardless of mycorrhizal colonization. Mycorrhizal colonization significantly increased root U concentrations at both harvests. Root colonization with G. mosseae or G. intraradices led to an increase in TF values for U from 7 (non-inoculation control) to 14 at the first harvest. The highest U concentration of 1574 mg kg À1 was recorded in roots colonized by G. mosseae at the second harvest. The results suggested that P. vittata in combination with appropriate AMF would play very important roles in bioremediation of contaminated environments characterized by a multi-pollution.

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“…Depleted uranium shells or casings are also used by some factions and can cause localized soil and sediment contamination (Haavisto et al 2001;Papastefanou 2002;Briner 2010). Uranium toxicity is of concern to exposed terrestrial and freshwater plants, freshwater invertebrates and vertebrates, and mammals (Sheppard et al 2005). In mammals, uranium toxicity can be highly detrimental to development, brain chemistry, behaviour, and kidney function (Briner 2010).…”

Section: Active Combat Contaminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of modern war and military activities on biodiversity and the environment

et al. 2015

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Abstract:War is an ever-present force that has the potential to alter the biosphere. Here we review the potential consequences of modern war and military activities on ecosystem structure and function. We focus on the effects of direct conflict, nuclear weapons, military training, and military produced contaminants. Overall, the aforementioned activities were found to have overwhelmingly negative effects on ecosystem structure and function. Dramatic habitat alteration, environmental pollution, and disturbance contributed to population declines and biodiversity losses arising from both acute and chronic effects in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. In some instances, even in the face of massive alterations to ecosystem structure, recovery was possible. Interestingly, military activity was beneficial under specific conditions, such as when an exclusion zone was generated that generally resulted in population increases and (or) population recovery; an observation noted in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. Additionally, military technological advances (e.g., GPS technology, drone technology, biotelemetry) have provided conservation scientists with novel tools for research. Because of the challenges associated with conducting research in areas with military activities (e.g., restricted access, hazardous conditions), information pertaining to military impacts on the environment are relatively scarce and are often studied years after military activities have ceased and with no knowledge of baseline conditions. Additional research would help to elucidate the environmental consequences (positive and negative) and thus reveal opportunities for mitigating negative effects while informing the development of optimal strategies for rehabilitation and recovery.Key words: war, biodiversity, ecosystem structure, conflict, military activities, environment, conservation biology.Résumé : La guerre est une force omniprésente ayant le potentiel d'altérer l'atmosphère. Les auteurs passent en revue les conséquences potentielles des activités guerrières et militaires modernes sur la structure et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. On met l'accent sur les effets directs et indirects des conflits, des armes nucléaires, des entrainements militaires et des contaminants des produits militaires. Dans l'ensemble, on constate que les activités préalablement mentionnées ont des effets négatifs écrasants sur la structure et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. Avec des altérations dramatiques des habitats, la pollution et les perturbations environnementales contribuent au déclin des populations et aux pertes de biodiversité provenant des effets aigus et chroniques sur les systèmes terrestres aussi bien qu'aquatiques. Tout de même dans certains cas, en présence d'altérations massives de la structure des écosystèmes, la récupération s'est avérée possible. Il est intéressant de noter qu'une activité militaire fut bénéfique sous des conditions spécifiques telles que la création d'une zone d'exclusion, en générant des augmentations générales des p...

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Derivation of ecotoxicity thresholds for uranium

Cited by 209 publications

References 56 publications

Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on uranium accumulation by plants

Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on uranium accumulation by plants

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation on uranium and arsenic accumulation by Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata L.) from a uranium mining-impacted soil

The effects of modern war and military activities on biodiversity and the environment

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