Abstract
This study was to investigate the activities and contents of 137Cs in the profiles of selected arable and forest soils in Taiwan and various solid-phase species of 85Sr and 137Cs in selected arable soils in Taiwan. The gamma (γ) ray spectra of the collected soil samples and some of the soils amended with 85Sr and 137Cs were measured. The data indicate that the arable soils from Sanhsing series, Sanhsing Township and Chuangwei series, Chuangwei Township, Ilan County, and from Tunglochuan series, Pinglin Township, Taipei County shows significantly higher radioactivity of 137Cs (ND − 11.0 ± 0.2 Bq kg−1). Furthermore, the radioactivity of 137Cs in the mountain soils (1.24 ± 0.07 − 42 ± 1 Bq kg−1) from Yuanyang Lake Nature Preserve among Ilan, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu Counties is the highest among the investigated mountain forest soils. This may be mainly attributed to the fact that Ilan County is located in the northeastern part of Taiwan and faces the northeastern and northern seasonal winds with lots of precipitation annually from mid-autumn through mid-spring next year and is receiving greater amount of fallouts yearly. Due to longer reaction period (≥3 y) of 137Cs with soil components, 137Cs was mainly in the forms bound to oxides and to organic matter in the soil amended with 137Cs and in the soil contaminated with 137Cs. On the contrary, due to shorter reaction period (<60 d) of 85Sr with soil components, 85Sr was mainly in exchangeable form and partially in the forms bound to carbonates and oxides in the soils amended with 85Sr.
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Chien, S.W.C., Wang, M.C., Chiu, C.L. et al. The contents and forms of solid-phase species of radioactive strontium and cesium in Taiwan soils. Environ Monit Assess 125, 29–39 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-9236-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-9236-3