Survey and analysis of uranium enrichment levels in vegetables around an uranium mine

Objective: To investigate the enrichment levels of uranium in five kinds of vegetable products around an uranium mine in China. This study provided the basic data for the radioactivity level and food safety assessment for this region. Methods: The surface soil was collected in and out of the mining area and the common edible vegetable productions in the farmland. High resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for the determination of uranium content. Results: The edible part of lettuce was the highest content of 1.09 μg/g in the collected samples of vegetables, and edible coriander content as low as 0.0850 μg/g, the uranium content in vegetable samples did not exceed the standard limits in safe level. The content of uranium in the soil of the vegetable sampling area was in the background value, the content of uranium in the soil was relatively safe, and the level of the uranium tailings and the surrounding road was high. Conclusion: The uranium content of farmland soil and food were safe land uncontaminated in the study area. The enrichment levels of uranium tailings and surrounding transportation roads had been polluted, need to take further measures. (authors)