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Simultaneous determination and uptake assessment of selected radionuclides in plants grown in substrate contaminated with U-mill tailings

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate transfer of 238U, 230Th, 226Ra and 210Pb from substrate contaminated with different amounts of uranium-mill tailings to eatable plants (radish, savoy and rocket). The applied radiochemical procedure allows for simultaneous determination of all investigated nuclides from a single sample test portion. The results obtained indicate significant linear correlation between content of the radionuclides in soil and plants as well as between content of the radionuclides in plants and pedological parameters, while contamination has no effect on photochemical efficiency and content of photosynthetic pigments in the selected plants.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Slovenian Research Agency (contracts No. P2-0075 and P1-0143). The authors thank Jurana Company for performing pedological analyses. Dr. Špela Mechora from the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, is greatly acknowledged for determining biochemical and physiological parameters of plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Petra Planinšek, Borut Smodiš & Ljudmila Benedik

  2. Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Petra Planinšek, Borut Smodiš & Ljudmila Benedik

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  1. Petra Planinšek
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  2. Borut Smodiš
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Correspondence to Borut Smodiš.

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Planinšek, P., Smodiš, B. & Benedik, L. Simultaneous determination and uptake assessment of selected radionuclides in plants grown in substrate contaminated with U-mill tailings. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 309, 351–365 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-4881-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-4881-7

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