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Uranium Budget and Leaching in Swiss Agricultural Systems

Bigalke, Moritz ; Imseng, Martin ; Schneider, Stephan ; Schwab, Lorenz ; Wiggenhauser, Matthias ; Keller, Armin ; Müller, Michael ; Frossard, Emmanuel ; Wilcke, Wolfgang (2022):
Uranium Budget and Leaching in Swiss Agricultural Systems. (Publisher's Version)
In: Frontiers in Environmental Science, 8, Frontiers, e-ISSN 2296-665X,
DOI: 10.26083/tuprints-00022540,
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Item Type: Article
Origin: Secondary publication service
Status: Publisher's Version
Title: Uranium Budget and Leaching in Swiss Agricultural Systems
Language: English
Abstract:

Many mineral P fertilizers contain toxic uranium (U) in high concentrations. When the fertilizers are applied to agricultural sites, U can either accumulate in the soil or leach to ground and surface waters. We analyzed the U fluxes at three arable and three grassland agricultural sites on the Swiss plateau for 1 year. We calculated all inputs and outputs to the soils, modeled the speciation of U in the soil solution and investigated the possible leaching of U along preferential flow paths. We found that all sites showed positive U budgets (+0.9–6.6 g ha⁻¹ y⁻¹), indicating an accumulation of U. However, the accumulation of U was low and a doubling of U concentration in the surface soil would need 850–2,660 years assuming today’s U fluxes. Mineral P fertilizers were the quantitatively most important input, followed by manure application and mineral weathering (only important in the soils developed on limestone). While at sites with slightly acidic pH only little U (<0.01 µg L⁻¹) was leached, the U leaching increased at neutral pH values, because of the formation of carbonato-U complexes. In all soil solutions, the U concentrations (≤0.8 µg L⁻¹) were below legal threshold values and comparable to local drinking and surface waters. We found no indication for enhanced U leaching along preferential flow paths.

Journal or Publication Title: Frontiers in Environmental Science
Volume of the journal: 8
Place of Publication: Darmstadt
Publisher: Frontiers
Collation: 11 Seiten
Uncontrolled Keywords: uranium, metal flux, metal leaching, agriculture, mineral P fertilizer
Classification DDC: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 550 Geowissenschaften
Divisions: 11 Department of Materials and Earth Sciences > Earth Science > Department of Soil Mineralogy and Soil Chemistry
Date Deposited: 11 Nov 2022 13:08
Last Modified: 28 Apr 2023 07:44
DOI: 10.26083/tuprints-00022540
Corresponding Links:
URN: urn:nbn:de:tuda-tuprints-225401
URI: https://tuprints.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/id/eprint/22540
PPN: 507306295
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