The soil-mushroom transfer of thorium and uranium was analyzed in two ecologically similar but geographically separated Spanish ecosystems by means of the transfer factor, TF. Uranium TF values were in the range 0.043-0.49, and thorium TF values in the range 0.030-0.62. These values were similar to those of Sr-90, Pu239+240, and Am-241 found previously in the same ecosystems. Given the low availability of uranium and thorium, the available transfer factors, ATF, were also determined. These were higher than the TF values by one order of magnitude for U-234,U-238, and by 2-3 orders of magnitude for Th-228,Th-210,Th-232. The ATF value of thorium was similar to that of Cs-137, and that of uranium similar to that of K-40. Hebeloma cylindrosporum presented the highest uranium and thorium transfer factors, confirming this species as a good bioindicator of a soil's radioactive content. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.