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Ali S, Baloch SB, Bernas J, Konvalina P, Onyebuchi EF, Naveed M, Ali H, Jamali ZH, Nezhad MTK, Mustafa A. Phytotoxicity of radionuclides: A review of sources, impacts and remediation strategies. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 240:117479. [PMID: 37884073 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Various anthropogenic activities and natural sources contribute to the presence of radioactive materials in the environment, posing a serious threat to phytotoxicity. Contamination of soil and water by radioactive isotopes degrades the environmental quality and biodiversity. They persist in soils for a considerable amount of time and disturb the fauna and flora of any affected area. Hence, their removal from the contaminated medium is inevitable to prevent their entry into the food chain and the organisms at higher levels of the food chain. Physicochemical methods for radioactive element remediation are effective; however, they are not eco-friendly, can be expensive and impractical for large-scale remediation. Contrastingly, different bioremediation approaches, such as phytoremediation using appropriate plant species for removing the radionuclides from the polluted sites, and microbe-based remediation, represent promising alternatives for cleanup. In this review, sources of radionuclides in soil as well as their hazardous impacts on plants are discussed. Moreover, various conventional physicochemical approaches used for remediation discussed in detail. Similarly, the effectiveness and superiority of various bioremediation approaches, such as phytoremediation and microbe-based remediation, over traditional approaches have been explained in detail. In the end, future perspectives related to enhancing the efficiency of the phytoremediation process have been elaborated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahzaib Ali
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sadia Babar Baloch
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Bernas
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Petr Konvalina
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Eze Festus Onyebuchi
- Department of Agroecosystems, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Muhammad Naveed
- Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | - Hassan Ali
- Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | - Zameer Hussain Jamali
- College of Environmental Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, 611130, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mohammad Tahsin Karimi Nezhad
- Department of Forest Ecology, The Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental 13 Gardening, Lidicka, 25/27, Brno, 60200, Czech Republic
| | - Adnan Mustafa
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou, 510650, China.
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Chandra K, Proshad R, Dey HC, Idris AM. A review on radionuclide pollution in global soils with environmental and health hazards evaluation. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:9245-9266. [PMID: 37578560 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01725-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Human populations are being exposed to a wide spectrum of radiation from soils as a result of the availability of radiation sources. Assessing the ecological and health effects of radionuclides in soils is crucial to support the optimal soil management practices but large-scale studies are limited. This study compiled data on radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, 40K, 238U, and 137Cs) in soils located across the world (44 countries and 159 places) between 2008 and 2022 and applied radiological hazards indices and several multivariate statistical approaches. The average activity concentration (Bq/kg) of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, 238U, and 137Cs were 408.56, 144.80, 508.78, 532.78, and 83.12, respectively, whereas 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 238U exceeded the standard limits. The principal component analysis explained more than 91% of variation in soils. Based on the geoaccumulation index, 40K posed moderately to heavy contamination whereas 238U and 226Ra posed moderate contamination in soils. Moreover, the mean values of radiological hazards evaluation such as radium equivalent activity (487.17 Bq/kg), external radiation hazard indices (1.32), internal hazard indices (2.15), absorbed dose rate (247.86 nGyh-1), annual effective dose rate (1.82 mSvy-1), activity utilization index (4.54) and excess lifetime cancer risk (63.84 × 10-4) were higher than recommended limit suggesting significant radiological risks in study region soils. The findings indicated that the study area soils were contaminated by radionuclides and unsafe for hazards in terms of the health risks linked with studied radioactive contents. The study is valuable for mapping radioactivity across the globe to determine the level of radioactivity hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishno Chandra
- Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Ram Proshad
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Hridoy Chandra Dey
- Faculty of Agriculture, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki Patuakhali, 8602, Bangladesh
| | - Abubakr M Idris
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, 62529, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, 62529, Abha, Saudi Arabia
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Khasanov S, Akhmedova G, Tukhtaev U, Safarov A, Proshad R. Evaluation of soil radioactivity in the areas of underground nuclear explosions at the Pomuk gas field site in Uzbekistan. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1412. [PMID: 37921876 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12018-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates soil radioactivity at the Pomuk gas field in Uzbekistan, a region with history of underground nuclear activity. Using a NaI (Tl) scintillation gamma spectrometer, soil samples were analyzed for concentrations of 232Th, 226Ra, 40K, and 137Cs. Concentrations were found to be in the range of 19.0-31.0 Bq/kg for 232Th, 12.0-32.0 Bq/kg for 226Ra, 450.0-634.0 Bq/kg for 40K, and 2.4-11.0 Bq/kg for 137Cs. Surface radon flux density was measured using a coal sorbent-based passive method, with values ranging from 26.1 to 79.0 mBq/m2s. Mean activity values for radium equivalent (Raeq) and gamma representative level index (Iγ) were calculated to be 75.2-96.5 Bq/kg and 0.3-0.4 Bq/kg, respectively. The absorbed airborne gamma dose rates (GDR) varied between 41.0 and 52.0 nGy/h, while annual effective dose rates (AEDR) were 0.3-0.4 μSv/year. The radiological risk assessment indicates the area is within safe limits for the population and environment, providing a foundation for future radiological monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakhboz Khasanov
- Samarkand State University, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 140104.
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | | | - Ulugbek Tukhtaev
- Samarkand State University, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 140104
- Samarkand Branch of National Institute of Metrology of Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 140105
| | - Askar Safarov
- Samarkand State University, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 140104
| | - Ram Proshad
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
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Yachiso GT, Chaubey AK, Turi B. Measurements of natural radionuclide levels and hazards in the Lega Dembi gold mine, Oromia, Ethiopia. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2023; 59:554-566. [PMID: 37960925 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2023.2273287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate natural radioactivity levels and hazards of radionuclides 232Th, 226Ra and 40K in soil samples taken from 15 locations in the Lega Dembi gold mining, Oromia, Ethiopia, using gamma-ray spectroscopy coupled with an HPGe detector. It was observed that the respective mean specific activities for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K determined in the mining site were 23.87 ± 0.7, 52.5 ± 1.8 and 391.62 ± 11.35 Bq/kg, and 8.89 ± 0.4, 13.83 ± 0.6 and 423.68 ± 9.5 Bq/kg in the living areas. The specific activity of 232Th was above the permissive limit in the mining site, while for 226Ra and 40K were within the limit. The specific activity of 40K in the living area was observed to be above the permissive limit. The calculated value of radiation hazards parameters; radium equivalent activity (Raeq), internal and external hazards indices (Hin) and (Hex), the mean annual effective dose (AED), and gamma representative indices (Iγ) were within permissively limit. The mean absorbed dose rate in the mining site was above the recommended safety limit. The total annual gonadal dose equivalent value was found to be 494.8 ± 8.7 µSv/a in the mining site. This value was also above the permissively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gebi Tuku Yachiso
- Department of Physics, College of Natural and Computational Science, Mizan Tepi University, Tepi, Ethiopia
- Department of Physics, College of Natural Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ashok K Chaubey
- Department of Physics, College of Natural Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Birhanu Turi
- Ethiopian Radiation Protection Authority, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Farhat HI, Gad A, Saleh A, Abd El Bakey SM. Risks Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements’ Contamination in the Egyptian Red Sea Surficial Sediments. LAND 2022; 11:1560. [DOI: 10.3390/land11091560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
The potential impact of tourism, industrial, and urban activities on Egypt’s Red Sea coastline, which is well-known for its economic and environmental importance, was investigated at fifteen coastal sites. In the present study, the concentration of cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in marine sediments from these sites, was determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometers (ICP-MS). In detail, various pollution indices, statistical analyses, and spatial distribution patterns were used to assess the pollution status, impacts of human activities, ecological risks, and sources of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in surface marine sediment. A detailed comparison with up-to-date data was conducted. These sediments were composed predominantly of fine and very fine sands. Mean grain size distribution typically depends on the source of the sediment from the following two prime sources: terrigenous (autochthonous) and biogenic (allochthonous). The detected PTE mean concentrations were as follows: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cu > Cd. Multivariate statistical analysis results revealed their close distribution and association. Cd and Pb levels in the studied area have been slightly impacted by anthropogenic inputs. According to the calculated pollution indices, although a minimal or moderate contamination degree was detected in the study area, it was determined that there was a low to moderate ecological risk. The slightly high degree of contamination and risk centered in the middle of the study area around phosphate mining and related activities. More attention should be given to the concentrations and sources of Cd, Ni, and Pb as the main pollution factors.
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Gad A, Saleh A, Farhat HI, Dawood YH, Abd El Bakey SM. Spatial Distribution, Contamination Levels, and Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Household Dust in Cairo City, Egypt. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10080466. [PMID: 36006146 PMCID: PMC9414935 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10080466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Urban areas’ pollution, which is owing to rapid urbanization and industrialization, is one of the most critical issues in densely populated cities such as Cairo. The concentrations and the spatial distribution of fourteen potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in household dust were investigated in Cairo City, Egypt. PTE exposure and human health risk were assessed using the USEPA’s exposure model and guidelines. The levels of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn surpassed the background values. Contamination factor index revealed that contamination levels are in the sequence Cd > Hg > Zn > Pb > Cu > As > Mo > Ni > Cr > Co > V > Mn > Fe > Al. The degree of contamination ranges from considerably to very high pollution. Elevated PTE concentrations in Cairo’s household dust may be due to heavy traffic emissions and industrial activities. The calculated noncarcinogenic risk for adults falls within the safe limit, while those for children exceed that limit in some sites. Cairo residents are at cancer risk owing to prolonged exposure to the indoor dust in their homes. A quick and targeted plan must be implemented to mitigate these risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Gad
- Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
- Correspondence: (A.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Ahmed Saleh
- National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), Cairo 11421, Egypt
- Correspondence: (A.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Hassan I. Farhat
- Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez University, El Salam City 43518, Egypt
| | - Yehia H. Dawood
- Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Sahar M. Abd El Bakey
- Department of Biological and Geological Sciences, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11341, Egypt
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Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements’ Contamination in the Soil of Greater Cairo, Egypt Using Geochemical and Magnetic Attributes. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11030319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced soil’s magnetic susceptibility reflects particles of anthropogenic/natural origin; therefore, it can be utilized as an indication of soil contamination. A total of 51 different land-use soil samples collected from Greater Cairo, Egypt, were assessed integrally using potentially toxic elements content (PTEs), magnetic susceptibility, and statistical and spatial analysis. PTE concentrations were compared to the world average, threshold, and screening values set by literature. Various environmental indices were estimated to assess soil contamination with these elements. Spatial distribution maps of PTEs and environmental indices were constructed to provide decision makers with a certain identification of riskier areas. In general, the concentrations of the analyzed PTEs showed variation with land-use types and follows a pattern of: Industrial > Agricultural > Urban. The distribution of PTEs in Greater Cairo was influenced by several anthropogenic sources, including traffic emission, industrial activity, and agricultural practices. The measured magnetic susceptibility values indicate magnetically enhanced soil signals dominated by multi-domain or pseudo-single-domain superparamagnetic particles of anthropogenic origin. A significant association was observed between magnetic susceptibility values and Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, and V, and the calculated environmental indices. It can be concluded that magnetic susceptibility is of proven effectivity in the assessment of soil contamination.
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