Highly weathered mineral soils have highest transfer risk of radiocaesium contamination after a nuclear accident: A global soil-plant study.

Autor: Vanheukelom M; Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium; Division of Soil and Water Management, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: margot.vanheukelom@sckcen.be., Sweeck L; Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium., Almahayni T; Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium., De Bruyn M; Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium; Division of Soil and Water Management, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium., Steegmans P; Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium; Division of Soil and Water Management, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium., Fondu L; Division of Soil and Water Management, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium., Van Gompel A; Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium., Van Hees M; Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium., Wannijn J; Biosphere Impact Studies, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium., Smolders E; Division of Soil and Water Management, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The Science of the total environment [Sci Total Environ] 2024 Oct 01; Vol. 945, pp. 173583. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 06.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173583
Abstrakt: Accidental release of radiocaesium ( 137 Cs) from nuclear power plants may result in long-term contamination of environmental and food production systems. Assessment of food chain contamination with 137 Cs relies on 137 Cs soil-to-plant transfer data and models mainly available for regions affected by the Chornobyl and Fukushima accidents. Similar data and models are lacking for other regions. Such information is needed given the global expansion of nuclear energy. We collected 38 soils worldwide of contrasting parent materials and weathering stages. The soils were spiked with 137 Cs and sown with ryegrass in greenhouse conditions. The 137 Cs grass-soil concentration ratio varied four orders of magnitude among soils. It was highest in Ferralsols due to the low 137 Cs interception potential of kaolinite clay and the low exchangeable potassium in these soils. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, the high plant uptake of 137 Cs in tropical soils. The most recent 137 Cs transfer model, mainly calibrated to temperate soils dominated by weathered micas, poorly predicts the underlying processes in tropical soils but, due to compensatory effect, still reasonably well predicts 137 Cs bioavailability across all soils (R 2  = 0.8 on a log-log scale).
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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