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Pollution characteristics and risk assessment of uranium and heavy metals of agricultural soil around the uranium tailing reservoir in Southern China

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Abstract

For the first time the pollution of the paddy soil within 2 km around the uranium tailing reservoir was investigated. The concentrations of U, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, Hg and As were determined by ICP-MS. The study showed that there was severe pollution in the first area (within 0–1 km of the tailing reservoir), which was caused by Cd, As, U and Hg. The pollution level of the second area (within 1–2 km) was relatively low. Hg and As were the main pollutants. In the first area, the contamination degree and risk of elements were positively correlated with the distance from the tailing reservoir. The second area was less polluted and influenced by mining and human activities because of mountain barriers.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Fund Program (11375043); the Main Academic and Technology Leader Funding Program of Jiangxi Province (20172BCB22020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Zhang Lu & Zhirong Liu

  2. School of Chemistry, Biological and Materials Science, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

    Zhang Lu & Zhirong Liu

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  1. Zhang Lu
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  2. Zhirong Liu
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Correspondence to Zhirong Liu.

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Lu, Z., Liu, Z. Pollution characteristics and risk assessment of uranium and heavy metals of agricultural soil around the uranium tailing reservoir in Southern China. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 318, 923–933 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6081-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6081-0

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