Distribution and Bioaccumulation of Uranium and Thorium in Natural Soil and Wild Plants of Wadi El-Missikat, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

Abstract

Uranium and thorium concentrations were determined in soil and wild plant samples collected from Wadi El Missikat, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt. The U and Th contents are similar to those in Gebel Qattar soil (North Eastern Desert, Egypt), but higher than their corresponding levels in the Earth's crust. The results obtained indicate that the Fagonia boveana plant uptakes and accumulates both elements, but uptakes of Th is higher than U. Fagonia sp. can absorb and accumulate uranium element with 150 times more than the average of world plant uptake. The Zilla spinosa plant was also found to be hyper-accumulator for U and Th and can absorb and accumulate uranium with 48 times more than the average world plant. Analyses of the studied plants show that they are considered hyper-accumulators for uranium and thorium and could be used as candidates for exploration for these elements and phytoremediation of radionuclide-contaminated soils.

Long Term Application of Fertilizers in Eastern Amazon and Effect on Uranium and Thorium Levels in Soils

“…Uranium (U) occurs naturally in the earth's crust, varying from 0.4 to 6.0 mg kg −1 in soils [5], with an average concentration of 2.5 mg kg −1 , while thorium (Th) is almost three times more abundant than U [6], with concentrations ranging from 2 to 12 mg kg −1 and an average value of 6 mg kg −1 [7]. Despite their natural occurrence in soils and plants, increased concentrations of U and Th in these environmental compartments may suggest areas affected by anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture, industrialization and mining [8].…”

“…The EF refers to the ratio between the concentration of the studied element in cultivated soil and the natural concentration or background level [23,24], while the BAF correlates the concentrations of elements in plant tissues and their total contents in the soil. BAF is considered one of the most important input variables in the assessment of risks to human health [8,25].…”

Effects of thorium and bromine on plant development and concentration of essential nutrients in wheat

“…For example, between two trace elements, uranium (U) and thorium (Th), much information is available on U, although both these radioactive elements are highly toxic, and the concentration of Th in soils and plants is even higher than the concentration of U (Ebyan, 2019) For second experiment, the concentrations of elements in the plants were determined by ICP-MS/ICP-OES after leaching the plant samples with tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) using the method described by Tagami et al (2006). The plant samples were weighted in the Teflon Vessels.…”