Preliminary results of spatial distribution of uranium and thorium in soil profiles near a uranium industrial site, Guangdong province, China |
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Four soil profiles were collected from locations with different distances (5, 50, 250 and 1000 m) from a uranium mill tailings dam, Guangdong province, China, to investigate the pollution status of the soil in mining/milling-related areas based on the contents of uranium (U) and thorium (Th), thus to understand the impacts of uranium industrial activities to the surroundings. The U and Th concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after conventional HF-HNO3-HClO4 digestion procedures. The results indicate that the soils within 50 m from uranium tailing were severely contaminated; those in 250 and 1000 m soil samples were observed to be with local background level even though these in 250 m had slightly higher U/Th ratios. Uranium concentrations varied from 5.50 +/- 0.27 to 160.55 +/- 8.03 mg/kg, with maximum values recorded in an intermediate layer of the 5-m distance soil profile. In comparison, the concentration of Th ranged from 6.02 +/- 0.30 to 84.71 +/- 4.24 mg/kg, with maximum values observed in the top layer of the 1000-m distance soil profile. The U/Th ratio varied from 0.15 to 11.99 compared with 0.20, 0.22 and 0.26 of the average for Guangdong province, national China and the world, respectively. The mean U/Th of four soil profiles showed a reduction with distance from the uranium mill tailing dam, suggesting the relatively large magnitude of uranium elevation in soils within limited distances. Publication name | NUKLEONIKA, 61 (3):367-371; 10.1515/nuka-2016-0061 SEP 2016 | Author(s) | Wang, Jin; Liu, Juan; Chen, Yongheng; Song, Gang; Chen, Diyun; Xiao, Tangfu; Li, Huosheng; Wang, Chunlin; Jiang, Feng | Corresponding author | CHEN Yongheng chenyong_heng@163.com 1. Guangzhou Univ, Minist Educ, Innovat Ctr, 230 Waihuan West Str, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, Peoples R China 2. Guangzhou Univ, Minist Educ, Key Lab Waters Safety & Protect Pearl River Delta, 230 Waihuan West Str, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, Peoples R China | Author(s) from IGCAS | XIAO Tangfu | View here for the details
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