The Distribution of Uranium and Companion Elements in Lichen Heath Associated with Undisturbed Uranium Deposits in the Canadian Arctic

On monitoring anthropogenic airborne uranium concentrations and 235U/238U isotopic ratio by Lichen – bio-indicator technique

“…Natural uranium is known to enter epiphytic lichens primarily with dust particles (Looney et al, 1985). At our experimental site the dust particles were mainly fine sand silicon compounds.…”

“…Accumulation of dust particles which settle in intercellular space, can occur during the lichen thallus growth. For example, the main mechanism of uranium accumulation with lichens is the trapping of dry fall-out (Looney et al, 1985). A multitude of dust particles accumulated in the inter-cellular space in the core of lichens; the composition of the particles corresponds to the composition of particles found on the thallus surface (Garty et al, 1979;Richardson et al, 1985).…”

Lichens and Particulate Matter: Inter-relations and Biomonitoring with Lichens

“…Lichens are known to accumulate uranium emitted by various sources (Gough and Erdman 1977;Beckett et al 1982;Boileau et al 1982;Looney et al 1985;Sheard 1986a, b;Pettersson et al 1988;Singh and Wrenn 1988;Fahselt et al 1995;Jeran et al 1995Jeran et al , 1996Jeran et al , 2002Jeran et al , 2003Jeran et al , 2007Daillant et al 1996;Trembley et al 1997;Gueidan et al 1997;Horvat et al 2000;Golubev et al 2005;Purvis et al 2006). In the war fought in the Balkan area in the years 1995-1999, depleted uranium (DU) was emitted by anti-tank ammunition fired by NATO aircrafts.…”

Biogeochemical signatures in the lichen Hypogymnia physodes in the mid Urals

“…An association with particulates, U and 137 Cs in arctic lichens, was inferred on the basis of highly intercorrelated Fe/Ti and radionuclide associations (Looney et al, 1985), suggesting adsorption of 137 Cs either as the ion or very small particulates onto inorganic dust which is available for trapping by lichens. A correlation between 137 Cs in soils collected in 1998 from 65 sites in the northern part of Chelyabinsk region and the elements Na Th, U, Al and Ce in mosses from 75 sites suggested an association with Fig.…”

“…Lichens derive U and other radionuclides from coal-fired plant emissions (Gough and Erdman, 1977), U mines (Jeran et al, 1995;Beckett et al, 1982;Boileau et al, 1982;Fahselt et al, 1995), as a result of accidents (Looney et al, 1985) and from uraniferous substrates (McLean et al, 1998;Purvis et al, 2004a). U uptake by lichens is considered to be metabolism independent 'biosorption' (Suzuki and Banfield, 1999;Purvis et al, 2004a).…”