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The effect of fertilizers on transfer factors in plant, the topsoil environment and the risk of ingestion

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Abstract

In the stages of growth and development, plants have different nutrition requirements that depend on the characteristics of each plant. Fertilizers help plants grow and thrive, and improve productivity and product quality. However, fertilizers also contain natural radionuclides and heavy metals that affect the environment and ecosystems. In this study, HPGe spectroscopy system was used to determine radioactivity in soil–fertilizer–plant samples, evaluate the impact of NPK fertilizers on plants and assess the risk of crops consumption on humans. The average activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in fertilizer samples are 3.1, 7.5 and 2196.4 Bq kg−1, respectively. The results showed that the activity concentrations in the samples are within the reference values of UNSCEAR. Different types of NPK fertilizers will have different effects on the Ra, Th and K uptake capacity in plants. The results also showed that the application of fertilizers both increased the activity concentrations of 226Ra and 40K in the plant samples and the concentrations in the soil samples. The average activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the soil increased about 4%, 8% and 7%, respectively. The average annual effective dose of 0.088 mSv y−1 is lower than the reference world value for total exposure per person from terrestrial radioisotope ingestion provided by UNSCEAR. Therefore, vegetable samples in the present study pose no significant risk to public health.

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Funding

This research is funded by University of Science, VNU-HCM under grant number T2021-60.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Technique Laboratory, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Vu Ngoc Ba & Truong Thi Hong Loan

  2. Faculty of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Bui Ngoc Thien & Truong Thi Hong Loan

  3. Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Vu Ngoc Ba, Bui Ngoc Thien & Truong Thi Hong Loan

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  1. Vu Ngoc Ba
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Vu Ngoc Ba, Bui Ngoc Thien, Mai Thanh Man, Truong Thi Hong Loan designed the ideas for the study, planned for the experiment, derived the models and analysed the data, wrote the manuscript. All authors provided critical feedback, discussion and helped shape the research, analysis for the manuscript.

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Ba, V.N., Thien, B.N. & Loan, T.T.H. The effect of fertilizers on transfer factors in plant, the topsoil environment and the risk of ingestion. Environ Earth Sci 81, 351 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10474-x

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