Abstract

The release of radionuclides to the atmosphere can result in deposition of the radionuclides directly to terrestrial ecosystems. Following deposition, uptake from soil will also contribute to the activity that is internalized in plants and further transported in the terrestrial ecosystems. These two processes are of concern in the nutrition chains, cereals-bread-human and in feeding stuffs-cow-milk-human. The aim of this study was to quantify the internal distribution of (1) direct wet deposited 134Cs and 85Sr in wheat and (2) root uptake of 137Cs, from Chernobyl accident, in barley and oats, as well as the dependence of distribution on soil type. Wheat crop was grown at the Ultuna meteorological and agricultural field station (Uppsala County) and land management was in accordance with regional agricultural practice. The trial had a randomized block design with 1 × 1 m2 parcels with three replicates. 134Cs and 85Sr were deposited on wheat at three different growth stages by a rainfall simulator. Barley crops was grown at Helganbo (Uppsala County) and Möjsjövik (Uppsala County) and oat crops was grown at Björke (Gävle County), Hille (Gävle County) and Möjsjövik (Uppsala County) all places were in Sweden. Both crops were grown in accordance with regional agricultural practices. Sampling was made in the last growing stage from an area of 1 m2 and the different plant compartments (stem, head, husk and grain) for all crops were dried. Samples were placed in plastic jars and the activity was measured by High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors, calibrated for this sample geometry. The preliminary results indicate that the lowest distribution of 137Cs was found to the head and grains of barley and oat grown on loamy clay soil type. There is an indication that the distribution of 134Cs to the head and grains in wheat is not related to the time from the deposition of 134Cs to harvest. It was found to that the distribution of 134Cs to head was higher in the husks then to the grains. For 85Sr it was seen that at a deposition at harvest the highest amount was distributed to the husks compared to the grains. However, at a deposition at the growing stage “flowering” a higher amount was distributed to the head. Factors that influenced distribution of radionuclides were the soil type, type of radionuclide and time interval between deposition and harvest.

Published in

Title: IRPA13 Abstracts

Conference

13th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association

SLU Authors

• Rosén, Klas

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Department of Soil Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Bengtsson, Stefan

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences


Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/39016