Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on uranium accumulation by plants

Hervé Dupré de Boulois, E. J. Joner, C. Leyval, I. Jakobsen, B.D. Chen, P. Roos, Yves Thiry, Gervais Rufyikiri, B. Delvaux, Stéphane Declerck, Jean Wannijn

    Research outputpeer-review

    Abstract

    Contamination by uranium (U) occurs principally at U mining and processing sites. Uranium can have tremendous environmental consequences, as it is highly toxic to a broad range of organisms and can be dispersed in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Remediation strategies of U-contaminated soils have included physical and chemical procedures, which may be beneficial, but are costly and can lead to further environmental damage. Phytoremediation has been proposed as a promising alternative, which relies on the capacity of plants and their associated microorganisms to stabilize or extract contaminants from soils. In this paper, we review the role of a group of plant symbiotic fungi, i.e. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which constitute an essential link between the soil and the roots. These fungi participate in U immobilization in soils and within plant roots and they can reduce root-to-shoot translocation of U. However, there is a need to evaluate these observations in terms of their importance for phytostabilization strategies.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)775-784
    JournalJournal of environmental radioactivity
    Volume99
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Apr 2008

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