title: Vegetation composition and ²²⁶Ra uptake by native plant species at a uranium mill tailings impoundment in South China.
abstract: A field investigation was conducted for the vegetation composition and (226)Ra uptake by native plant species at a uranium mill tailings impoundment in South China. 80 species belonging to 67 genera in 32 families were recorded in the sampling sites. The Poaceae and Asteraceae were the dominant families colonizing the impoundment. The number of the plant species and vegetation community composition in the sampling sites seemed most closely related to the activities of (226)Ra and the pH value of the uranium tailings. The plant species in the sampling sites with relatively low activities of (226)Ra and relatively high pH value formed a relatively stable vegetation community. The plant species in the sampling sites with medium activities of (226)Ra and medium pH value formed the transitional vegetation community. The plant species in the sampling sites with relatively high activities of (226)Ra and relatively low pH value formed a simple unstable vegetation community that was similar to that on the unused grassland. The activities of (226)Ra and transfer factors (TFs) varied greatly with the plant species. The high activities of (226)Ra and TFs were found in the leaves of Pteris multifida (150.6 Bq/g of AW; 9.131), Pteridium aquilinum (122.2 Bq/g of AW; 7.409), and Dryopteris scottii (105.7 Bq/g of AW; 6.408). They satisfied the criteria for a hyperaccumulator for (226)Ra. They may be the candidates for phytoremediation of (226)Ra in the uranium mill tailings impoundment areas and the contaminated soils around.
authors.affiliation: Key Discipline Laboratory for National Defense for Biotechnology in Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Key Discipline Laboratory for National Defense for Biotechnology in Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China. Electronic address: dingdxzzz@163.com.
authors.forename: Dexin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Key Discipline Laboratory for National Defense for Biotechnology in Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
authors.forename: Guangyue
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Discipline Laboratory for National Defense for Biotechnology in Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
authors.forename: Jifang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Key Discipline Laboratory for National Defense for Biotechnology in Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Discipline Laboratory for National Defense for Biotechnology in Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
authors.forename: Weichao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Discipline Laboratory for National Defense for Biotechnology in Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.
authors.forename: Yongdong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002681:China; D008906:Mining; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D011883:Radium / Q000378:metabolism*; D014501:Uranium
chemical_list: D011850:Radioactive Waste; D014501:Uranium; D011883:Radium
keywords: Hyperaccumulator; Mill tailings impoundment; Phytoremediation; Radium; Uranium; Vegetation composition