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Distribution of natural and artificial radionuclides in chernozem soil/crop system from stationary experiments

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 23, pages 17761–17773 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

The present paper focuses on the determination of radiological characteristics of cultivated chernozem soil and crops from long-term field experiments, taking into account the importance of distribution and transfer of radionuclides in the soil-plant system, especially in agricultural cropland. The investigation was performed on the experimental fields where maize, winter wheat, and rapeseed were cultivated. Analysis of radioactivity included determination of the gross alpha and beta activity as a screening method, as well as the activities of the following radionuclides: natural (210Pb, 235U, 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, 7Be) and artificial (90Sr and 137Cs). The activities of natural and artificial (137Cs) radionuclides were determined by gamma spectrometry, while the artificial radionuclide 90Sr was determined by a radiochemical analytical method. Based on the obtained results for the specific activity of 40K, 137Cs, and 90Sr, accumulation factors for these radionuclides were calculated in order to estimate transfer of radionuclides from soil to crops. The results of performed analyses showed that there is no increase of radioactivity that could endanger the food production through the grown crops.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia for the material support (Grant no. III 43009).

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Affiliations

  1. Radiation and Environmental Protection Department, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Nataša B. Sarap, Milica M. Rajačić & Marija M. Janković

  2. Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Ivica G. Đalović

  3. Department of Field and Vegetable Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Srđan I. Šeremešić

  4. Department of Pedology and Geology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Aleksandar R. Đorđević

  5. Department of Radiochemistry and Nuclear Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Marko Z. Daković

Authors
  1. Nataša B. Sarap
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  2. Milica M. Rajačić
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  3. Ivica G. Đalović
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  4. Srđan I. Šeremešić
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  5. Aleksandar R. Đorđević
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  6. Marija M. Janković
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  7. Marko Z. Daković
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Correspondence to Nataša B. Sarap.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Sarap, N.B., Rajačić, M.M., Đalović, I.G. et al. Distribution of natural and artificial radionuclides in chernozem soil/crop system from stationary experiments. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 17761–17773 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6938-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6938-0

Keywords

  • Radionuclides
  • Chernozem soil
  • Plant
  • Long-term experiment