Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2011, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (4): 425-436.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1259.2011.00425

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Uranium Uptake and Accumulation in Plants on Soils

Qinfang Wan1, Yahong Chen2, Bin Hu3, Yamin Ren2, Liang Wang2, Honghui Lin4, Dachao Deng5, Yun Bai5, Chuanqin Xia1,2*   

  1. 1Key Laboratory for Radiation Physics and Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology,Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China;

    2College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China;

    3PetrolChina Southwest Oil and Gas Field in Sichuan Gas Mine Company, Suining 629000, China;

    4School of Life Sciences,Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China;

    5China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China
  • Received:2010-10-20 Revised:2011-03-08 Online:2011-07-01 Published:2011-07-01
  • Contact: Chuanqin Xia

Abstract: With the development of the nuclear industry, heavy metal uranium (U) emissions and diffusion have led to U contamination of surface soils, which have had a great impact on society and the environment. How to remedy U-contaminated soils is a difficult problem. Phytoremediation is welcomed for cleanup because of its low cost, safety and environmental friendliness. Searching for accumulators for U is the key to this technology. We designed simulation experiments for soil contaminated with 100 mg·kg–1 U for first and second phytoremediation. The effects of phytoremediation were evaluated in terms of U concentration in shoots and roots of plants, U export, bioaccumulation factors (BFS) and translocation factors (TFS). The first phytoremediation indicated that BFS ([U]plants/[U]soils) and TFS ([U]shoots/[U]roots) of Lactuca dolichophylla are more than 3, and U concentration in shoots reached 1.67×103 mg·kg–1. The second phytoremediation showed that the U concentration of Chlorophytum comosum, Phaseolus vulgaris, Artemisia lavandulaefolia but not Ophiopogon japonicus decreased by 4- to 8-fold. Amendments with seaweed fertilizer and citric acid could help remediate U-contaminated soil. The available U for the second phytoremediation on soil was decreased, which made the second phytoremediation more difficult.

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