Heavy metals, uranium and thorium in agricultural soils and plants from the Buhovo region, Bulgaria

Abstract

Ten soil and five plant samples from private gardens in Buhovo town and from the agricultural
area between Buhovo town and Yana village, Bulgaria, were investigated. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used for the determination of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Hg, Ni, As, Cr, U and Th concentrations. The results showed
higher concentrations of Pb and As in soil samples. The highest contents of U and Th were determined in soils collected
from private gardens in Buhovo town and sample collected from the Manastirska riverside. Among the plant samples,
the highest uptake of Pb, As, Cr and Cu were established for the sunflower and wheat stems. The comparison of soil
and plant samples U/Th ratios clearly indicate uranium enrichment of the sunflower and thorium enrichment of the
wheat samples. In the wild briar, hawthorn and reed fruits the contents of U and Th were below the detection limit.