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Skoko B, Brkanac SR, Kuharić Ž, Jukić M, Štrok M, Rovan L, Zgorelec Ž, Perčin A, Prlić I. Does exposure to weathered coal ash with an enhanced content of uranium-series radionuclides affect flora? Changes in the physiological indicators of five referent plant species. J Hazard Mater 2023; 441:129880. [PMID: 36067557 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Coal ash deposited in open landfills is a potential source of environmental pollutants due to the contained toxic element content. The weathered coal ash used in this study additionally contains enhanced activity concentrations of 238U series radionuclides. This study aimed to determine the physiological effects of enhanced ionizing radiation and toxic elements on five plant species (smilo grass, sticky fleabane, blackberry, mastic and pine tree) inhabiting the coal ash disposal site. Among the potentially toxic measured elements, contents of Sb, As and especially V significantly exceeded their respective levels at the control site, as well as the content of 238U and its progenies. Significant changes in photosynthetic pigments were recorded following chronic exposure to the plants growing on the coal ash site. Different responses were also observed in the plant species regarding the activity of catalase and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). The level of lipid peroxidation markedly increased in plants from the disposal site, except in blackberry, wherein GST activity was the strongest, indicating an important role of that enzyme in the adaptation to coal ash pollutants. The results of this study suggest that the modulation of the studied biochemical parameters in plants growing on coal ash is primarily species-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Božena Skoko
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Sandra Radić Brkanac
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Željka Kuharić
- Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Mirogojska 16, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Mirela Jukić
- Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Mirogojska 16, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Marko Štrok
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Leja Rovan
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Željka Zgorelec
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Aleksandra Perčin
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Ivica Prlić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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Rovan L, Zuliani T, Horvat B, Kanduč T, Vreča P, Jamil Q, Čermelj B, Bura-Nakić E, Cukrov N, Štrok M, Lojen S. Uranium isotopes as a possible tracer of terrestrial authigenic carbonate. Sci Total Environ 2021; 797:149103. [PMID: 34303980 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The concentration and isotopic composition of uranium (δ238U, 234U/238U activity ratio) in combination with traditional isotopes (δ18O, δ13C) were examined as potential tracers of authigenic carbonate formation in a karst aquifer. The U concentration and 234U/238U activity ratios in the tufa-precipitating sections of two connected karst rivers (Krka and Zrmanja, Croatia) decreased downstream in water and in precipitated carbonate due to active self-purification processes, i.e. adsorption of isotopically lighter U(VI) on mineral particles, sedimentation and co-precipitation with carbonate. The isotopic composition of carbonate in tufa mostly resembled the 234U/238U activity ratio and the δ238U values of dissolved U in water but was also affected by the presence of detrital carbonate flushed into the river from soil and weathered bedrock. This interpretation was supported by the δ18O and δ13C values of tufa, which were shifted out of equilibrium with river water and dissolved in organic carbon and in their isotopic signature, which showed the presence of lithic carbonate. Large fluctuations of the δ238U values of water, leachable U (eluted in acetic acid buffered with Na-acetate) and residual U fraction could not be fully explained by available data due to the overlapping U isotopic signatures of leachable (mainly carbonate) and residual fractions of soil, bedrock and tufa. Therefore, a long-term, systematic, seasonal and event-based observation of the isotopic composition of dissolved and suspended particulate U in water is necessary. Nevertheless, the U isotopes were found to have the potential to be used as identifiers of authigenic carbonate and the storage of CO2 in terrestrial river sediments, to improve knowledge on fluxes within local and global biogeochemical carbon cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leja Rovan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tea Zuliani
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Barbara Horvat
- Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva ulica 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tjaša Kanduč
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Polona Vreča
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Qasim Jamil
- Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Branko Čermelj
- Marine Biology Station, National Institute of Biology, Fornače 40, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
| | - Elvira Bura-Nakić
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Neven Cukrov
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Štrok
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Sonja Lojen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; School of Environmental Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Glavni trg 8, 5271 Vipava, Slovenia
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Benedik L, Rovan L, Klemenčič H, Gantar I, Prosen H. Natural radioactivity in tap waters from the private wells in the surroundings of the former Žirovski Vrh uranium mine and the age-dependent dose assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2015; 22:12062-12072. [PMID: 25874436 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4481-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Activity concentration of (238)U, (234)U, (226)Ra, (228)Ra, (210)Pb and (210)Po in tap water from selected springs and private wells in the area of the former uranium mine at Žirovski Vrh were determined. A total of 22 tap water samples were collected at consumer's houses. The results show that the activity concentrations of uranium in water samples are in range (0.17-372) and (0.22-362) mBq L(-1) for (238)U and (234)U, respectively. Radium activity concentrations are in range (0.14-16.7) and (0.9-11.7) mBq L(-1) for (226)Ra and (228)Ra, respectively. (210)Po activity concentration is in range (0.28-8.0) mBq L(-1) and can be regarded as the lowest amongst all analysed radionuclides. The range for (210)Pb is (0.5-24.6) mBq L(-1). Based on the results obtained for activity concentrations of six radionuclides, the committed effective dose for three different age groups of population were estimated. It was found that the committed effective dose was well below the recommended value of 100 μSv year(-1), ranging from 2.3 to 34.3 μSv year(-1) for adults, from 3.5 to 32.0 μSv year(-1) for children (7-12 years) and from 3.0 to 23.3 μSv year(-1) for infants.
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