Pb(Po)-210 concentration of tobacco samples grown in the vicinity of a remedied uranium mine

Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, University of Pannonia, 8200 Veszprem Egyetem Str. 10, Hungary

Abstract

The environmental monitoring of waste heaps, sludge reservoirs is an important task. The Pb(Po) accumulation of tobacco has been known for long. Knowing familiar with the accumulation capability can be suitable for bio-monitoring the tailing ponds of the remedied uranium mine, as isotopes may be bound on the skin surfaces or may be absorbed via the roots.

Our research investigates the Pb(Po)-210 concentration values of tobacco plants grown for experimental purposes in the remedied uranium-mine area. During the work the Pb(Po)-210 concentration values of 73 tobacco and soil samples, grown between 2002-2009 were determined using a semi-conductor (PIPS) detector alpha-spectrometer. The source for measurement was prepared using spontaneous deposition process following the combined acidic leaching using Po-209 tracers. Based on the results it can be stated that the Pb(Po)-210 activity concentration values of tobacco and soil samples altered between 2.12 ± 0.8 – 1866 ± 98 mBq/g. Processing the measurement data of the previous years it was apparent that with the changes of the Pb(Po) concentration values of the soil samples the activity concentration values of the tobacco samples also changed proportionally. Therefore, later the migration of radioisotopes disengaged from the tailings dump can also be traced.