Fertilizer-Derived Uranium and its Threat to Human Health

Schnug, Ewald; Lottermoser, Bernd G.

doi:10.1021/es4002357

Cited by 147 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Since phosphate rock is mined, crushed/ground and digested for its phosphorus content anyway only the environmental impact for additional byproduct uranium extraction (green box Figure 3) has to be considered in a direct comparison. In the case of phosphate rock, uranium extraction may be particularly desirable as radiotoxic uranium which is not extracted primarily (80-90%) transfers to the final fertilizer product [55] which is brought out onto agricultural soils [56,57]. Guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for unconventional uranium extraction are in place and if applied correctly ensure that unconventional byproduct uranium extraction does not result in an additional risk regarding nuclear proliferation [58].…”

Section: Motivation Behind Energy Neutral Mineral Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Sustainability and Progress of Energy Neutral Mineral Processing

et al. 2018

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A number of primary ores such as phosphate rock, gold-, copper-and rare earth ores contain considerable amounts of accompanying uranium and other critical materials. Energy neutral mineral processing is the extraction of unconventional uranium during primary ore processing to use it, after enrichment and fuel production, to generate greenhouse gas lean energy in a nuclear reactor. Energy neutrality is reached if the energy produced from the extracted uranium is equal to or larger than the energy required for primary ore processing, uranium extraction, -conversion, -enrichment and -fuel production. This work discusses the sustainability of energy neutral mineral processing and provides an overview of the current progress of a multinational research project on that topic conducted under the umbrella of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

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Section: Motivation Behind Energy Neutral Mineral Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Sustainability and Progress of Energy Neutral Mineral Processing

et al. 2018

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“…The centrifuged supernatants (14,000 g, 5 min) were used to determine the NH 4 + content with Aquamerck ammonium test solution (Merck, Darmstadt). The nitrate content was spectrophotometrically quantified at 210 nm (Helios Beta; Unicam UV-Vis; Cambridge, U.K.) against a blank sample reduced with copper-coated zinc granules [70] with maximum deviations of ±8% for soil replicates.…”

Section: Nitrogen Compoundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The worldwide loss of cropland to expanding urban communities and their infrastructure, to mining, and to areas of industrial heavy metal (HM) and radionuclide immissions is compounded by agricultural mismanagement, land erosion, increasing salinity [1,2], and the use of As, Cd, and U contaminated phosphate fertilizers [3][4][5]. Contemporarily, industrial and energy crops subsidized in favor of greenhouse gas-avoiding decarbonisations of the economy [6,7] displace food and forage production [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gradual Accumulation of Heavy Metals in an Industrial Wheat Crop from Uranium Mine Soil and the Potential Use of the Herbage

Gramss

Voigt

2016

Agriculture

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Abstract:Testing the quality of heavy-metal (HM) excluder plants from non-remediable metalliferous soils could help to meet the growing demands for food, forage, and industrial crops. Field cultures of the winter wheat cv. JB Asano were therefore established on re-cultivated uranium mine soil (A) and the adjacent non-contaminated soil (C). Twenty elements were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) from soils and plant sections of post-winter seedlings, anthesis-state, and mature plants to record within-plant levels of essential and toxic minerals during ripening and to estimate the (re)use of the soil-A herbage in husbandry and in HM-sensitive fermentations. Non-permissible HM loads (mg·kg −1 ·DW) of soil A in Cd, Cu, and Zn of 40.4, 261, and 2890, respectively, initiated the corresponding phytotoxic concentrations in roots and of Zn in shoots from the seedling state to maturity as well as of Cd in the foliage of seedlings. At anthesis, shoot concentrations in Ca, Cd, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Zn and in As, Cr, Pb, and U had fallen to a mean of 20% to increase to 46% during maturation. The respective shoot concentrations in C-grown plants diminished from anthesis (50%) to maturity (27%). They were drastically up/down-regulated at the rachis-grain interface to compose the genetically determined metallome of the grain during mineral relocations from adjacent sink tissues. Soil A caused yield losses of straw and grain down to 47.7% and 39.5%, respectively. Nevertheless, pronounced HM excluder properties made Cd concentrations of 1.6-3.08 in straw and 1.2 in grains the only factors that violated hygiene guidelines of forage (1). It is estimated that grains and the less-contaminated green herbage from soil A may serve as forage supplement. Applying soil A grains up to 3 and 12 in Cd and Cu, respectively, and the mature straw as bioenergy feedstock could impair the efficacy of ethanol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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“…Agricultural fertilizer is a third potential source of uranium in groundwater, as the radionuclide occurs in phosphate mined for fertilizer production [72]. Research in Germany has found that the uranium concentrations in groundwater below agricultural land are three to 17 times higher than under forested land [73] cited in [72].…”

Section: Potential Sources Of Uranium In Local Groundwatermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research in Germany has found that the uranium concentrations in groundwater below agricultural land are three to 17 times higher than under forested land [73] cited in [72]. Hence, extensive irrigated and dry land farming on the Reservation, particularly in the Bighorn River valley [74], could be contributing uranium from fertilizer to the groundwater.…”

Section: Potential Sources Of Uranium In Local Groundwatermentioning

confidence: 99%