Uranium and radium concentrations in plants growing on uranium mill tailings in South Dakota

Abstract

Vegetation and soil samples were collected from a uranium mill tailings site and control sites in South Dakota. Uranium concentrations in soils from the mill tailings averaged 13.3 [micro]g g^-1 compared to 5.1 [micro]g g^-1 in soils from control sites. ²²⁶Ra concentrations in soils averaged 111.0 pCi g^-1 and 1.8 pCi g^-1 from the mill tailings and control sites, respectively. Uranium concentrations in plants from the mill tailings averaged 3.6 x 10^-1 [micro]g g^-1, but only 3.4 [micro]g g^-1 from control sites. ²²⁶Ra in plants from the mill tailings averaged 2.9 pCi g^-1 compared to 3.7 x 10^-2 pCi g^-1 from the control sites. Concentration ratios (amount in plant/amount in soil) of radionucleotides indicated that two grasses and one forb were not concentrating uranium or ²²⁶Ra.

Citation

Rumble, Mark A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J. 1986. Uranium and radium concentrations in plants growing on uranium mill tailings in South Dakota. Reclamation and revegetation research. 4: 271-277