Ecotoxicity of Aged Uranium in Soil Using Plant, Earthworm and Microarthropod Toxicity Tests

Discrepancies about probable no effect concentrations (PNEC) for uranium in soils may be because toxicity tests used freshly contaminated soils. This study used 3 soils amended with a range of uranium concentrations 10 years previously. The toxicity tests with northern wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus); earthworm (Eiseniaandrei) were not affected below ~1,000 mg U kg−1, and the soil arthropod Folsomiacandida was not affected below ~350 mg U kg−1. Survival of Orthonychiurus folsomi was diminished 20% (EC20) by ~85–130 mg U kg−1, supporting a PNEC in the range of 100–250 mg U kg−1 as derived previously.