Bioaccumulation of rare earth elements, uranium and thorium in plant-rhizosphere soil in Xiangshan uranium tailings areas

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2024.2.18

Abstract

Abstract:

Eight dominant plants and their rhizosphere soils were collected from different parts of the Xiangshan uranium tailings areas (in the tailing pond, on the dam, and downstream of the tailing pond). The bioaccumulation behavior and spatial isomerism characteristics of rare earth elements (REEs), uranium (U), and thorium (Th) in the roots, stems, leaves, spikes, and rhizosphere soils of the plants were studied through field investigation and laboratory analysis. The results showed that the total REE (∑REEs) contents were highest in the rhizosphere soils, followed by the roots, stems, and leaves (spikes). REE normalization indicated that, for plants in the pond, the roots exhibited similar patterns to the rhizosphere soils, showing enrichment of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and a negative europium (Eu) anomaly. In contrast, for plants collected from the dam and downstream of the pond, the roots and rhizosphere soils had relatively flat patterns with a negative cerium (Ce) anomaly, while the stems, leaves, and spikes showed enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREEs). This indicated that fractionation of REEs occurred during the transport from soils to roots in the soil-root systems and within the plant tissues. A DTPA extraction experiment with the rhizosphere soils showed that HREEs were preferentially taken up by plants compared to LREEs, and the bioavailability of gadolinium (Gd) was lower than that of other REEs. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that soil pH, Fe/Mn mineral adsorption, and organic matter were important factors affecting the bioavailability of REEs. Grey correlation analysis showed that the grey correlation coefficients of U, Th, and REEs were generally higher between rhizosphere soil and root as compared to those between rhizosphere soil and leaf, stem, and spike, reflecting that the influence of soil U and Th concentration on REEs was greater in root than that in leaf stem, and spike. The REEs Bioconcentration Factor (BCF=6.09) and Translocation Factor (TF=8.25) of Dicranopteris dicthotoma leaves were both greater than 1, and BCF and TF of its stems and roots were also higher than other plants. This indicated that Dicranopteris dicthotoma could be used as an accumulator for REEs. The rice roots were strongly accumulated with REEs, Th and U, which meat that rice could be considered as the candidate for joint-contamination phytoremediation.

Key words: uranium mine, rhizosphere soil, rare earth elements, uranium and thorium, enrichment and fractionation

CLC Number:

DONG Shu, LIU Haiyan, ZHANG Yifan, WANG Zhen, GUO Huaming, SUN Zhanxue, ZHOU Zhongkui. Bioaccumulation of rare earth elements, uranium and thorium in plant-rhizosphere soil in Xiangshan uranium tailings areas[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2024, 31(6): 474-489.

Figures/Tables 10

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植物编号	采样位置	植物名称
ZW1	尾矿库内	石菖蒲
ZW2		蕨菜
ZW3		芨芨草
ZW4	尾矿库坝上	芒萁
ZW5	尾矿库坝上	皱叶酸模
ZW6	尾矿库坝下	小蓬草
ZW7	尾矿库坝下	翅果菊
ZW8	坝下农田	水稻

植物编号	采样位置	植物名称
ZW1	尾矿库内	石菖蒲
ZW2		蕨菜
ZW3		芨芨草
ZW4	尾矿库坝上	芒萁
ZW5	尾矿库坝上	皱叶酸模
ZW6	尾矿库坝下	小蓬草
ZW7	尾矿库坝下	翅果菊
ZW8	坝下农田	水稻

植物名称	植物部位	元素含量/(mg·kg^-1)
植物名称	植物部位	U	Th	∑REEs	∑LREEs	∑HREEs
石菖蒲	叶	3.70	1.85	3.49	2.32	1.17
	茎	4.74	2.52	3.40	1.94	1.46
	根	78.7	5.73	9.20	5.17	4.03
	根际土壤	208	92.4	205.12	139.92	65.21
蕨菜	叶	0.39	0.25	1.11	0.94	0.17
	茎	1.27	0.34	0.65	0.45	0.20
	根	197	59.6	67.29	36.37	30.92
	根际土壤	458	293	390.7	224.3	166.4
芨芨草	穗	0.40	0.18	2.16	1.72	0.44
	叶	0.56	0.24	0.58	0.41	0.17
	茎	0.29	0.12	0.34	0.26	0.08
	根	653	20.1	23.89	11.24	12.65
	根际土壤	1 050	149	258.8	164.41	94.39
芒萁	叶	0.20	0.16	1 973.04	1 490.8	482.24
	茎	0.15	0.11	239.14	217.30	21.83
	根	1.10	2.24	171.16	119.13	52.03
	根际土壤	7.24	26.0	324.18	270.88	53.30
皱叶酸模	叶	1.0	0.23	2.06	1.12	0.95
	茎	0.41	0.21	0.89	0.61	0.28
	根	20.6	15.8	21.0	12.77	8.23
	根际土壤	257	219	347.5	240.8	106.7
小蓬草	叶	1.19	1.05	24.08	18.84	5.24
	茎	0.56	0.13	5.70	4.23	1.47
	根	24.9	3.07	132.03	85.06	46.98
	根际土壤	78.6	46.6	748.3	509.9	238.4
翅果菊	叶	1.98	1.63	47.81	38.41	9.40
	茎	0.14	0.05	6.18	4.88	1.30
	根	3.85	3.46	104.09	76.96	27.14
	根际土壤	23.2	28.2	588.4	443.7	144.7
水稻	叶	0.51	0.15	6.2	4.62	1.58
	茎	0.38	0.89	21.49	17.62	3.87
	根	3.3	13.0	286.6	234.2	52.39
	根际土壤	5.22	19.5	446.2	345.3	100.9
全国表层土壤背景值		3.03	13.75	187.9	143.2	37.2
江西表层土壤背景值		4.19	20.71	228.9	176.12	55.88

植物名称	植物部位	元素含量/(mg·kg^-1)
植物名称	植物部位	U	Th	∑REEs	∑LREEs	∑HREEs
石菖蒲	叶	3.70	1.85	3.49	2.32	1.17
	茎	4.74	2.52	3.40	1.94	1.46
	根	78.7	5.73	9.20	5.17	4.03
	根际土壤	208	92.4	205.12	139.92	65.21
蕨菜	叶	0.39	0.25	1.11	0.94	0.17
	茎	1.27	0.34	0.65	0.45	0.20
	根	197	59.6	67.29	36.37	30.92
	根际土壤	458	293	390.7	224.3	166.4
芨芨草	穗	0.40	0.18	2.16	1.72	0.44
	叶	0.56	0.24	0.58	0.41	0.17
	茎	0.29	0.12	0.34	0.26	0.08
	根	653	20.1	23.89	11.24	12.65
	根际土壤	1 050	149	258.8	164.41	94.39
芒萁	叶	0.20	0.16	1 973.04	1 490.8	482.24
	茎	0.15	0.11	239.14	217.30	21.83
	根	1.10	2.24	171.16	119.13	52.03
	根际土壤	7.24	26.0	324.18	270.88	53.30
皱叶酸模	叶	1.0	0.23	2.06	1.12	0.95
	茎	0.41	0.21	0.89	0.61	0.28
	根	20.6	15.8	21.0	12.77	8.23
	根际土壤	257	219	347.5	240.8	106.7
小蓬草	叶	1.19	1.05	24.08	18.84	5.24
	茎	0.56	0.13	5.70	4.23	1.47
	根	24.9	3.07	132.03	85.06	46.98
	根际土壤	78.6	46.6	748.3	509.9	238.4
翅果菊	叶	1.98	1.63	47.81	38.41	9.40
	茎	0.14	0.05	6.18	4.88	1.30
	根	3.85	3.46	104.09	76.96	27.14
	根际土壤	23.2	28.2	588.4	443.7	144.7
水稻	叶	0.51	0.15	6.2	4.62	1.58
	茎	0.38	0.89	21.49	17.62	3.87
	根	3.3	13.0	286.6	234.2	52.39
	根际土壤	5.22	19.5	446.2	345.3	100.9
全国表层土壤背景值		3.03	13.75	187.9	143.2	37.2
江西表层土壤背景值		4.19	20.71	228.9	176.12	55.88