Transfer of long lived radionuclides in Chernobyl soils to edible plants

Introduction Transfer of long lived radionuclides such as Cs, Sr and transuranic elements in contaminated soils at Chernobyl to edible plants were examined. Analysis of radionuclides uptake from contaminated soils by plants is important from the point of view of not only the re-use of the soil, but also the decontamination of the contaminated soils by plants. This is especially true in the environment around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plants. The plant uptake experiments were made during 1996 and 1997 at Pripyat hothouse facilities belonged to Department of Radiology and Recultivation ChesCIR, Ukraine. The tests were carried out on sandy-podsolic soils and peaty soils which were adjusted in fixed levels of contamination by blending the same soil type of a different contamination density sampled in Chernobyl districts. In 1996, test cultivation was done in which two edible plants; Chinese cabbage and carrot were investigated on sandy-podsolic and peaty soils under two levels of radioactive soil contaminations. In 1997, four species of edible plant (radish and spinach are added) on sandy-podsolic and peaty soils under conditions of three levels of radioactive soil contaminations. The transfer factor is obtained by the ratio of concentration in plants (Bq/g-wet) to soils (Bq/g-dry) in this case. The IAEA summarized radionuclides uptake by plants (1,2). After the Chernobyl accident, many reports have been published concerning the radionuclides uptake from the contaminated soils by plants for Cs and Sr (for example; references 3). But, few reports have been published on plant uptake for the transuranic elements. This situation is not only in Chernobyl cases, but also in general (4,5). Here, we examined the radionuclides uptake by Japanese plants from contaminated soils,not only for Cs and Sr,but also for transuranic elements. During 1996 and 1997 in CheSCIR in the Department of Radioecology and Recultivation, the joint Ukrainian Japanese experiment was conducted aiming the study of the peculiarities of radionuclides transfer to the agricultural plants. In particular, the level of influence of soil and species factors upon the accumulation of the radionuclides by the agricultural plants (Lactuca sativa L., Spinacia oleracea L., Raphanus sativus L., Daucus carota L ) was studied. Also the parameters of radionuclides transfer to the econimical parts of the plants ( to the root-crops of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), carrot ( Daucus carota L. ) and leaf-crops of Chinese cabbage (Lactuca sativa L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) on the soils of different density of radioactive contamination and of different typological belonging to were investigated. Here, we report the outline of the experiment.