Elevated natural radioactivity in undisturbed forest and mountain areas of arctic Norway – local geology, soil characteristics, and transfer to biota

Thørring, Håvard; Wærsted, Frøydis Meen; Raaness, Agnes; Skipperud, Lindis; Jensen, Louise Kiel

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106291

Cited by 9 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 23 publications

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“…Soils in various regions exhibit elevated concentrations of radionuclides (RNs) due to both the natural conditions and anthropogenic activities, posing a potential hazard to living organisms. The causes of radioactive contamination can be attributed to several factors: areas with increased natural radioactivity [12][13][14][15][16], technologically enhanced natural radioactivity [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25], radiation accidents [26][27][28][29], nuclear tests [30][31][32][33], and oil pollution [34][35][36][37][38].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic Diversity and Functional Traits of Soil Bacterial Communities under Radioactive Contamination: A Review

Belykh,

Maystrenko,

Velegzhaninov

et al. 2024

Microorganisms

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Studies investigating the taxonomic diversity and structure of soil bacteria in areas with enhanced radioactive backgrounds have been ongoing for three decades. An analysis of data published from 1996 to 2024 reveals changes in the taxonomic structure of radioactively contaminated soils compared to the reference, showing that these changes are not exclusively dependent on contamination rates or pollutant compositions. High levels of radioactive exposure from external irradiation and a high radionuclide content lead to a decrease in the alpha diversity of soil bacterial communities, both in laboratory settings and environmental conditions. The effects of low or moderate exposure are not consistently pronounced or unidirectional. Functional differences among taxonomic groups that dominate in contaminated soil indicate a variety of adaptation strategies. Bacteria identified as multiple-stress tolerant; exhibiting tolerance to metals and antibiotics; producing antioxidant enzymes, low-molecular antioxidants, and radioprotectors; participating in redox reactions; and possessing thermophilic characteristics play a significant role. Changes in the taxonomic and functional structure, resulting from increased soil radionuclide content, are influenced by the combined effects of ionizing radiation, the chemical toxicity of radionuclides and co-contaminants, as well as the physical and chemical properties of the soil and the initial bacterial community composition. Currently, the quantification of the differential contributions of these factors based on the existing published studies presents a challenge.

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