## 1 Introduction  
The uptake of radionuclides such as \({}^{238}\)U and \({}^{226}\)Ra by plants is a well-studied aspect of the literature [1; 2; 3; 4; 5]. The parameter used to evaluate the availability and uptake of radionuclides by plants is the transfer factor [6]. This parameter is defined as the dry mass ratio of the activity concentration of a given radionuclide in a plant to its content in the soil. The values reported in the literature for \({}^{238}\)U and \({}^{226}\)Ra range widely from \(10^{-4}\) to \(1\) kg\({}^{-1}\) kg\({}^{-1}\)[7; 8; 6]. The high variability in transfer factors is mainly because they are a very conservative parameter, as they do not take into account the interactions of radionucleides with the physicochemical properties of soil [9; 10]. In relation to this, there are few studies that relate chemical composition regarding the concentration of stable elements with unstable or radioactive ones such as \({}^{226}\)Ra and \({}^{238}\)U [11]. [PERSON] et al. [12] studied the uptake of radionuclides from the uranium and thorium radioactive series considering the presence of stable elements; however, the study did not relate the uptake of stable elements with the natural radionuclides. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. [13] found no correlation between the stable elements and the natural radionuclides. Therefore, more studies are needed on this possible relationship in the uptake of stable and radioactive elements by plants. On the other hand, the study of the uptake of both naturally occurring and artificial radionuclides by plants in semi-arid climates is increasing in importance due to the absence of transfer factors for these types of climates [14]. The soils typical of these climates possess characteristics that distinguish them those of from tropical climates and affect plant absorption. The primary characteristic is a lack of moisture, mainly due to the texture and absence of organic matter, which results in high-level water stress for the plants [14; 15]. Additionally, temperatures cause precipitation to evaporate quickly, leading to radionuclides being retained in the surface layer of the soils, making them less accessible to the roots [1]. These characteristics imply that fewer radionuclides are incorporated than those in the soils of tropical climates, which have a greater presence of organic matter and moisture. The need for this knowledge lies in the possible future construction of nuclear power plants in countries with this type of climate in the near future. The literature includes many studies of this type of climate for different radionuclides, both naturally occurring and anthropogenic, and for different types of soils, including in areas impacted and not impacted by uranium mining [16; 17; 18; 19]. However, these studies only report transfer factors, without finding a relationships between the studied radionuclides and the stable elements. The transfer factors are used to assess the potential incorporation of radionuclides through the food chain. The initial step involves the ingestion of plants by livestock, which may subsequently be consumed by humans, potentially increasing the risk of cancer [20]. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between the uptake of two major natural radionuclides, \({}^{238}\)U and \({}^{226}\)Ra, by plants and stable elements in a semi-arid climate. The necessary conditions for this study were provided by the waste heap and the surroundings of an abandoned Cu mine during the summer period, where the absence of rainfall and high temperatures resembled a semi-arid climate zone. Our working hypothesis was that there is a relationship between the uptake of \({}^{238}\)U and \({}^{226}\)Ra and stable elements under semi-arid climate conditions.