Bioaccumulation of 226Ra by plants growing in fresh water ecosystem around the uranium industry at Jaduguda, India

A field study has been conducted to evaluate the 226Ra bioaccumulation among aquatic plants growing in the stream/river adjoining the uranium mining and ore-processing complex at Jaduguda, India. Two types of plant group have been investigated namely free floating algal species submerged into water and plants rooted in stream & riverbed. The highest 226Ra activity concentration (9850 Bq kg−1) was found in filamentous algae growing in the residual water of tailings pond. The concentration ratios of 226Ra in filamentous algae (activity concentration of 226Ra in plant Bq kg−1 fresh weight/activity concentration of 226Ra in water Bq l−1) widely varied i.e. from 1.1 × 103 to 8.6 × 104. Other aquatic plants were also showing wide variability in the 226Ra activity concentration. The ln-transformed filamentous algae 226Ra activity concentration was significantly correlated with that of ln-transformed water concentration (r = 0.89, p < 0.001). There was no correlation between the activity concentrations of 226Ra in stream/riverbed rooted plants and the substrate. For this group, correlation between 226Ra activity concentration and Mn, Fe, Cu concentration in plants were statistically significant.