Identifying Native Wyoming Plant Species for Uptake and Retention of Uranium from a Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Site (UMTRCA) in Riverton, Wyoming

Plant species native to Wyoming were tested for their ability to extract uranium (U) from contaminated soil at a Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Site (UMTRCA) on the Wind River Reservation just south of Riverton, WY. The bioremediary phytoextraction process, or the use of plants to naturally absorb and retain contaminants from a water source, was tested off site, in a laboratory setting using the following plant species: Helianthus anuus, Phaseous vulgaris, and Brassica juncea as well as Spirodel polyrhiza. Baseline data collected on initial uranium concentrations in the soil and water show uranium levels to be lower than expected but uranium concentration in the plants show an appreciable up-concentration of uranium up to 15.8 times the amount in the soil.