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Concentration of uranium was determined in aquatic plants and substrate (sediment or water) of fresh water ecosystem on and around uranium mill tailings pond at Jaduguda, India. Aquatic plant/substrate concentration ratios (CRs) of uranium were estimated for different sites on and around the uranium mill tailings disposal area. These sites include upstream and downstream side of surface water sources carrying the treated tailings effluent, a small pond inside tailings disposal area and residual water of this area. Three types of plant groups were investigated namely algae (filamentous and non-filamentous), other free floating & water submerged and sediment rooted plants. Wide variability in concentration ratio was observed for different groups of plants studied. The filamentous algae uranium concentration was significantly correlated with that of water (r=0.86, p<0.003). For sediment rooted plants significant correlation was found between uranium concentration in plant and the substrate (r=0.88, p<0.001). Both for other free floating species and sediment rooted plants, uranium concentration was significantly correlated with Mn, Fe, and Ni concentration of plants (p<0.01). Filamentous algae, Jussiaea and Pistia owing to their high bioproductivity, biomass, uranium accumulation and concentration ratio can be useful for prospecting phytoremediation of stream carrying treated or untreated uranium mill tailings effluent., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The present study was designed to investigate the uptake of Polonium-210 ((210)Po) by aquatic plants growing in a fresh water ecosystem around the tailings management facility of the uranium industry of Jaduguda, India. Evaluation of the activity concentration of (210)Po in aquatic plants, the concentration ratio of (210)Po from substrate to plants and the relationship of (210)Po with other stable elements were major objectives of the investigation., Materials and Methods: Based on the habitat, three types of plant were collected and analyzed for (210)Po activity estimation. Along with aquatic plants, effluent, surface water and bottom sediment were also collected and analyzed for (210)Po activity content. From the acid solution (210)Po was electrodeposited on brightly polished silver discs and counted for alpha activity in an alpha counter., Results: The highest (210)Po activity concentration (4884 Bq kg(-1) fresh weight) was found in filamentous algae from residual water of the tailings pond. For sediment-rooted plants, a significant positive correlation (r = 0.91, p < 0.0001) was observed between plant and sediment activity concentration of (210)Po., Conclusions: For all of the three different groups of plants studied, highly significant correlations were observed between activity concentration of (210)Po and Cu with the significance level variation between 0.00-0.05 (both for linear and log transformed data).

A field study has been conducted to evaluate the (226)Ra bioaccumulation among aquatic plants growing in the stream/river adjoining the uranium mining and ore-processing complex at Jaduguda, India. Two types of plant group have been investigated namely free floating algal species submerged into water and plants rooted in stream & riverbed. The highest (226)Ra activity concentration (9850 Bq kg(-1)) was found in filamentous algae growing in the residual water of tailings pond. The concentration ratios of (226)Ra in filamentous algae (activity concentration of (226)Ra in plant Bq kg(-1) fresh weight/activity concentration of (226)Ra in water Bq l(-1)) widely varied i.e. from 1.1 x 10(3) to 8.6 x 10(4). Other aquatic plants were also showing wide variability in the (226)Ra activity concentration. The ln-transformed filamentous algae (226)Ra activity concentration was significantly correlated with that of ln-transformed water concentration (r = 0.89, p < 0.001). There was no correlation between the activity concentrations of (226)Ra in stream/riverbed rooted plants and the substrate. For this group, correlation between (226)Ra activity concentration and Mn, Fe, Cu concentration in plants were statistically significant., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)