Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reduced Plant Uptake of 137Cs Grown in Illite-amended Sediments

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sediments native to the US Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina are ineffective at binding 137Cs, allowing it to remain available for biological uptake. Unlike the native sediments, illite has inherent characteristics that increase its propensity to sorb 137Cs in a nearly irreversible manner. The objectives of this study were to determine if the addition of illite to 137Cs-contaminated, native sediments would effectively reduce plant uptake of 137Cs, and to establish the illite concentration most effective in achieving that result. Two plant species, corn and soybean, were grown in native sediments amended with illite at concentrations ranging from 0 to 5%. The illite amendment effectively decreased plant uptake of 137Cs, as concentration ratios (CR; Csplant/Cssoil) for both plants decreased with increasing illite concentration. The 5%-illite treatment induced corn CRs to decrease by 29% and soybean CRs to decrease by 42%. The greatest incremental benefit was observed with an illite amendment of approximately 0.5%.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

Bq:

Becquerel

CR:

concentration ratio

ICP-MS:

inductively couple plasma-mass spectrometry

SRS:

Savannah River Site

References

  • Belli, M., Sansone, U., Ardiani, R., Feoli, E., Scimone, M., Menegon S., et al. (1995). The effect of fertilizer applications on 137Cs uptake by different plant species and vegetation types. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 27, 75–89.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlton, W. H., Bauer, L. R., Evans, A. G., Geary, L. A., Murphy Jr., C. E., Pinder, J. E., et al. (1992). Cesium in the Savannah River Site environment. (DE-AC09-89SR18035, WSRC-RP-92-250). Aiken, SC: Westinghouse Savannah River Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comans, R. N. J., & Hockley, D. E. (1992). Kinetics of cesium sorption on illite. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 56, 1157–1164.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crusius, J., & Anderson, R. F. (1995). Evaluating the mobility of 137Cs, 239+240Pu and 210Pb from their distributions in laminated lake sediments. Journal of Paleolimnology, 13, 119–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehlken, S., & Kirchner, G. (2002). Environmental processes affecting plant root uptake of radioactive trace elements and variability of transfer factor data: A review. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 58, 97–112.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, D. W., Alberts, J. J., & Clark III, R. A. (1983). Reversible ion-exchange fixation of cesium-137 leading to mobilization from reservoir sediments. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 47, 1041–1049.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guivarch, A., Hinsinger, P., & Staunton, S. (1999). Root uptake and distribution of radiocaesium from contaminated soils and the enhancement of Cs adsorption in the rhizosphere. Plant Soil, 211, 131–138.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hinton, T. G., Bell, C. M., Whicker, F. W. & Philippi, T. (1999). Temporal changes and factors influencing 137Cs concentration in vegetation colonizing an exposed lake bed over a three-year period. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 44, 1–19.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hinton, T. G., Knox, A. S., Kaplan, D. I., & Serkiz, S. M. (2001). An in situ method for remediating 137Cs-contaminated wetlands using naturally occurring minerals. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 249, 197–202.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hinton, T. G., Kaplan, D. I, Knox, A. S., Coughlin, D., Rice, R., Watson, S. I., et al. (2006). The use of illite clay for in situ remediation of 137Cs-contaminater water bodies: Field demonstration of reduced biological uptake. Environmental Science & Technology, 40, 4500–4505.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hird, A. B., Rimmer, D. L., & Livens, F. R. (1996). Factors affecting the sorption and fixation of caesium in acid organic soils. European Journal of Soil Science, 47, 97–104.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ishaq, M., Ibrahim, M., & Lal, R. (2001). Tillage effect on nutrient uptake by wheat and cotton as influenced by fertilizer rate. Soil & Tillage Research, 62, 41–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madruga, M. J., & Cremers, A. (1997). Effect of ionic composition and temperature on the radiocaesium fixation in freshwater sediments. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 99, 201–208.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malm, J., Rantavaara, A., Uusi-Rauva, A., & Paakkola, O. (1991). Uptake of caesium-137 from peat and compost mould by vegetables in a greenhouse experiment. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 14, 123–133.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marschner, H. (1986). Mineral nutrition of higher plants. Orlando, FL: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKinley, J. P., Zeissler, C. J., Zachara, J. M., Serne, R. J., Lindstrom, R. M., Schaef, H. T., et al. (2001). Distribution and retention of 137Cs in sediments at the Hanford Site, Washington. Environmental Science & Technology, 35, 3433–3441.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mengel, K., & Kirkby, E. A. (1978). Principles of plant nutrition. Worblaufen-Bern, Switzerland: International Potash Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, W. P., & Miller, D. M. (1987). A micro-pipette method for soil mechanical analysis. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 18, 1–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NCRP (National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements) (2007). Cesium-137 in the Environment: Radioecology and Approaches to Assessment and Management. NCRP Report no. 154. Bethesda, MD: National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nibest, A. F., & Shaw, S. (1994). Summary of a 5-year lysimeter study on the time-dependent transfer of 137Cs, 90Sr, 239,240Pu and 241 Am to crops from three contrasting soil types: 1. Transfer to the edible portion. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 23, 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nibest, A. F., & Woodman, R. F. M. (2000). Soil-to-plant transfer factors for radiocesium and radiostrontium in agricultural systems. Health Physics, 78, 279–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noordijk, H., Bergeijk, K. E., van Lembrechts, J., & Frissel, M. J. (1992). Impact of ageing and weather conditions on soil-to-plant transfer of radiocesium and radiostrontium. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 15, 277–286.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, P. V. (1998). Statistical research methods in the life sciences. New York: Duxbury.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez, A. L., Smolders, E., Van den Brande, K., Merckx, R., Wright, S. M., & Naylor, C. (2002). Predictions of in situ solid/liquid distribution of radiocaesium in soils. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 63, 35–47.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sawhney, B. L. (1972). Selective sorption and fixation of cations by clay minerals: A review. Clays Clay Minerals, 20, 93–100.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seel, J. F., Whicker, F. W., & Adriano, D. C. (1995). Uptake of 137Cs in vegetable crops grown on a contaminated lakebed. Health Physics, 68, 793–799.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharitz, R. R., Scott, S. L., Pinder III, J. E., & Woods, S. K. (1975). Uptake of radiocesium from contaminated floodplain sediments by herbaceous plants. Health Physics, 28, 23–28.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whicker, F. W., Hinton, T. G, Niquette, D. J., & Seel, J. (1993). Health risks to hypothetical residents of a radioactively contaminated lake bed. In Proceedings of the ER’93 Conference (pp. 619–624). Augusta, GA: Environmental Remediation Conference.

  • Whicker, F. W., Hinton, T. G., MacDonell, M. M., Pinder, III, J. E, & Habegger. L. J. (2004). Avoiding destructive remediation at DOE sites. Science (Washington DC), 303, 1615–1616.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whittig, L. D., & Allardice, W. R. (1989). X-ray diffraction. In A. Klute (Ed.), Methods of soil analysis, Part 1, 2nd edition (pp. 331–362). Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy.

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Daniel Coughlin, Yi Yi, and Jamie Marsh at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory for field and laboratory assistance, as well as, Dr Herman Senter of Clemson University for his valuable advice on data analysis. This research was supported in part by a grant titled “Graduate Research Internships” awarded through the South Carolina Universities Research and Education Foundation by the US Department of Energy under Contract DE-FC09-93SR22184/DOES 004. This research was also partially supported by the Environmental Remediation Sciences Division of the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, US Department of Energy through Financial Assistant Award no. DE-FC09-96SR18546 to the University of Georgia Research Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CH2M HILL, Clemson University, 5700 Cleveland Street, Virginia Beach, VA, 23462, USA

    Adina M. Carver

  2. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, The University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, 29802, USA

    Thomas G. Hinton

  3. Environmental Engineering & Science, Clemson University, P.O. Box 340919, Clemson, SC, 29634-0919, USA

    Robert A. Fjeld

  4. Savannah River National Laboratory, Building 773-43A, Room 215, Aiken, SC, 29808, USA

    Daniel I. Kaplan

Authors
  1. Adina M. Carver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thomas G. Hinton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert A. Fjeld
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Daniel I. Kaplan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel I. Kaplan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Carver, A.M., Hinton, T.G., Fjeld, R.A. et al. Reduced Plant Uptake of 137Cs Grown in Illite-amended Sediments. Water Air Soil Pollut 185, 255–263 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9447-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9447-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation