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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2011

Accumulation of Cs-137 after potassium fertilization in plant organs of Salix viminalis L. and in combusted ash

Rosén, Klas; von Fircks, Yuehua; Vinichuk, Mykhailo; Sennerby Forsse, Lisa

Abstract

The effect of potassium (K) application at a common rate on Cs-137 uptake and distribution within basket willow (Salix viminalis L.) and Cs-137 activity in willow ash was studied in a three-year field experiment on a sandy soil. Experimental plots fertilized with 60 kg N and 48 kg K per ha were compared with a control with similar N but no K fertilization. There was no significant difference in Cs-137 activity concentrations in plants growing on plots with or without fertilizer K. Higher concentrations of Cs-137 activity were found in roots and leaves of willow than in stems and cuttings. The highest Cs-137 activity concentration was detected in the fine roots (size 0-1 mm). The transfer factor (TFg) of Cs-137 in different plant organs varied between 0.1 x 10(-3) and 2.6 x 10(-3) m(2) kg (1). After combustion, Cs-137 activity concentrations in ash produced from wood chips from K-fertilized plots were significantly lower than those in ash originating from plots without K fertilization. Fly ash had higher Cs-137 concentrations than bottom ash and all ash samples had Cs-137 concentrations that were well below the 10 000 Bq kg(-1) Swedish limit for spreading on land. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Ashes recycling; Bio-energy; Radionuclides; Short rotation forestry; Transfer factor

Published in

Biomass and Bioenergy
2011, Volume: 35, number: 7, pages: 2765-2772
Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD