Abstract
Soil-to-plant transfer factors (F v ) are commonly used as a key link to estimate the transference of radionuclides along the human food chain. The use of F v assumes that the radionuclide concentration in plant is linearly related with the radionuclide concentration in soil. However, for different ecosystems and even considering similar soil type and plant species, a large variability in F v values has been reported, showing that other variables in addition to radionuclide soil concentration have influence on the radionuclide uptake by plants. Another possible source of uncertainty in F v could come from the heterogeneous distribution of the radionuclide in the plant. In this chapter, we analyze two situations: (a) the root uptake of Cs+ and K+ using electrophysiological techniques, for three grass species that grow in seminatural grassland of central Argentina and (b) the incorporation of 137Cs and 40K by tropical plants and their translocation to fruits. In both cases, we have considered components that are incorporated into the human food chain and, consequently, there is a need of adjusting their dosimetric contribution on the population.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Anjos RM, Umisedo NK, Facure A, Yoshimura EM, Gomes PRS, Okuno E (2002) Goiânia: 12 years after the 137Cs radiological accident. Radiat Prot Dosim 101:201–204
Anjos RM, Mosquera B, Carvalho C, Sanches N, Bastos J, Gomes PRS, Macario K (2007) Accumulation and long-term decline of radiocaesium contamination in tropical fruit trees. Nucl Instrum Meth Phys Res A 580:625–628
Anjos RM, Mosquera B, Sanches N, Cambuí CA, Mercier H (2009a) Caesium, potassium and ammonium distributions in different organs of tropical plants. Environ Exp Bot 65:111–118
Anjos RM, Rizzotto M, Sanches N, Velasco H, Valladares DL, Macario KD (2009b) Accumulation of 137Cs and 40K in aboveground organs of tropical woody fruit plants. Radioanal Nucl Chem 281:7–10
Juri Ayub J, Valverde LR, García-Sánchez MJ, Fernández JA, Velasco RH (2008) Kinetics of caesium and potassium absorption by roots of three grass pastures and competitive effects of potassium on caesium uptake in Cynodon sp. In: AIP conference proceedings, 1034:269–272
Carini F (2009) Radionuclide transfer to fruit in the IAEA TRS 364 revision. J Environ Radioact 100:752–756
Carini F, Atkinson CJ, Collins C, Coughtrey PJ, Eged K, Fulker M, Green N, Kinnersley R, Linkov I, Mitchell NG, Mourlon C, Ould-Dada Z, Quinault JM, Robles B, Stewart A, Sweeck L, Venter A (2005) Modelling and experimental studies on the transfer of radionuclides to fruit. J Environ Radioact 84:271–284
Carvalho C, Anjos RM, Mosquera B, Macario K, Veiga R (2006) Radiocesium contamination behavior and its effect on potassium absorption in tropical or subtropical plants. J Environ Radioact 86:241–250
Cid AS, Anjos RM, Zamboni CB, Velasco H, Macario K, Rizzotto M, Medeiros IMA, Juri Ayub J, Audicio P (2013) Temporal evolution of 137Cs+, K+ and Na+ in fruits of South American tropical species. Sci Total Environ 444:115–120
Ciuffo L, Belli M, Pasquale A, Menegon S, Velasco H (2002) 137Cs and 40K soil-to-plant relationship of in natural grassland of the Giulia Alps, Italy. Sci Total Environ 295:69–80
Delvaux B, Kruyts N, Maes E, Smolders E (2000) Trace elements in the rhizosphere. In: Gobran GR, Wenzel WW, Lombin E (eds) Fate of radiocesium in soil and rhizosphere. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL
Ehlken S, Kirchner G (1996) Seasonal variations in soil-to-plant transfer of fallout strontium and cesium and of potassium in north German soils. J Environ Radioact 33:147–181
Ehlken S, Kirchner G (2002) Environmental processes affecting plant root uptake of radioactive trace elements and variability of transfer factor data: a review. J Environ Radioact 58:97–112
Frissel MJ, van Bergeijk KE (1989) Mean transfer values derived by simple statistical analysis. Sixth Rep Working Group Soil-to-Plant Transf Factors, IUR, RIVM, Bilthoven, The Netherlands pp 10–12
Frissel MJ, Deb DL, Fathony M, Lin YM, Mollah AS, Ngo NT, Othman I, Robison WL, Skarlou-Alexiou V, Topcuolu S, Twining JR, Uchida S, Wasserman MS (2002) Generic values for soil-to-plant transfer factors of radiocesium. J Environ Radioact 58:113–128
Heredia MA, Zapico R, García-Sánchez MJ, Fernández JA (2002) Effect of calcium, sodium and pH on uptake and accumulation of radiocesium by Riccia fluitans. Aquat Bot 74:245–256
IAEA (1988) The radiological accident in Goiânia. International Atomic Energy Agency, Austria
IAEA (2010) Handbook of parameter values for the prediction of radionuclide transfer in terrestrial and freshwater environments. Tech Rep Ser N° 472
Mosquera B, Carvalho C, Veiga R, Mangia L, Anjos RM (2006) 137Cs distribution in tropical fruit trees after soil contamination. Environ Exp Bot 55:273–281
Ng YC, Colsher CS, Thompson SE (1979) Transfer factor for assessing the dose from radionuclides in agricultural products. Biological implications in radionuclides released from nuclear industries, vol 2. IAEA, Vienna, pp 295–318
Robison WL, Brown PH, Stone EL, Hamilton TH, Conrado CL, Kehl S (2009) Distribution and ratios of 137C and K in control and K-treated coconut trees at Bikini Island where nuclear test fallout occurred: effects and implications. J Environ Radioact 100:76–83
Shaw G, Bell JNB (1989) The kinetics of caesium absorption by roots of winter wheat and the possible consequences for the derivation of soil-to-plant transfer factors for radiocaesium. J Environ Radioact 10:213–231
Shaw G, Bell JNB (2001) Transfers in agricultural semi-natural environments. In: Van der Stricht E, Kirchmann R (eds) Radioecology radioactivity and ecosystems. Fortemps, Belgium, pp 112–135
Velasco H, Juri Ayub J, Belli M, Sansone U (2004) Temporal variation of the 137Cs and 40 K flux from soil to grass in semi-natural ecosystems. J Environ Radioact 71:225–241
Velasco H, Juri Ayub J, Sansone U (2008a) Radionuclide transfer factor from soil to plant in tropical and subtropical environments: statistical analysis for different plant/soil combinations. App Rad Isotop 66:1759–1763
Velasco H, Juri Ayub J, Sansone U (2008b) Influence of crop types and soil properties on radionuclide soil-to-plant transfer factors in tropical and subtropical environments. J Environ Radioact 100:733–738
Velasco H, Cid AS, Anjos RM, Zamboni CB, Rizzotto M, Valladares DL, Juri Ayub J (2012) Variability of 137Cs and 40 K soil-to-fruit transfer factor in tropical lemon trees during the fruit development period. J Environ Radioact 104:64–70
White PJ, Broadley MR (2000) Mechanisms of caesium uptake by plants. New Phytol 147:241–256
Zhu YG, Smolders E (2000) Plant uptake of radiocaesium: a review of mechanisms, regulation and application. J Exp Bot 51:1635–1645
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Velasco, H., Meigikos dos Anjos, R., Juri Ayub, J. (2014). Radionuclide Uptake by Plants: Soil-to-Plant Transfer Factors, Kinetics of Absorption, and Internal Radionuclide Distribution of 137Cs and 40K in South American Species. In: Gupta, D., Walther, C. (eds) Radionuclide Contamination and Remediation Through Plants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07665-2_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07665-2_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-07664-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-07665-2
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)