Determining of soil-to-plant transfer factors of strontium ion from the soil sample of Tehran province to two plant species including radish and watercress and investigating the influencing parameters

Zavar Mousavi, M.; Feghhi, S.A.H.; Aghayan, H.; Taherian, A.M.; Ghasemi Mobtaker, H.; Yousefi, T.

doi:10.24200/nst.2022.1068.1722

Determining of soil-to-plant transfer factors of strontium ion from the soil sample of Tehran province to two plant species including radish and watercress and investigating the influencing parameters

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

M. Zavar Mousavi ¹

S.A.H. Feghhi ¹

H. Aghayan ²

A.M. Taherian ³

H. Ghasemi Mobtaker ²

T. Yousefi ²

¹ Nuclear Engineering Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University, P.O. Box: 1983963113, Tehran – Iran

² Nuclear Fuel Cycle Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 11365-8486, Tehran – Iran

³ Iran Radioactive Waste Management Company, Postal code: 1439955931, Tehran-Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2022.1068.1722

Abstract

This research investigates the transfer factor in the soil to plant (as one of the important parameters in safety analysis calculations and determining the amount of radiation of people) of strontium ion (a conventional radionuclide in pollution caused by nuclear accidents) to two plant samples including radish (Raphanus sativus var. sativus) and watercress (Lepidium sativum) as highly consumed plants in the food chain grown in the southern soil of Tehran. In this research, experiments were carried out in pots with a diameter of 15.5 cm and a height of 15.7 cm. These pots contained 2 kg of soil mixed with compost under the natural sunlight conditions of Tehran. In order to investigate the effect of strontium ion concentration on the transfer factor, the desired soil was first mixed with compost at a ratio of 3:1 and, using strontium nitrate salt solution in four different concentrations (50-200-500-1000 mg/kg) was infected. Pots were irrigated weekly with a specific volume of water at two different acidity levels (pH = 5 and 6) to investigate the effect of pH on the transfer factor. Also, the concentration of strontium ions in two tissues of the leaf and root of radish and watercress was done. This was examined to determine the accumulation of strontium ions in each of the tissues and their influence on the transfer factor. The results showed that with the increase in soil strontium concentration, the amount of adsorption of this element in both plants increases and the transfer factor decreases. Also, the plant had more adsorption in the soil with lower pH and a higher transfer factor was reported. The comparison of transfer factor and strontium adsorbed between the two plants also showed that radish adsorbed more strontium than watercress and had more transfer factor. Also, using an experimental method, the distribution coefficient, which is a crucial and practical parameter in pollutant transfer modeling and pollution risk assessment in soil and water resources, was determined by using the transfer factor from soil to plant. In this research, the possibility of decontamination of strontium from the soil by applying radish was investigated. The results showed that this plant could be used as a purifier to purify soils contaminated with strontium.

Highlights

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Keywords

Transfer factor

Strontium

Adsorption

Raphanus sativus var

Sativus and Lepidium sativum

20.1001.1.17351871.1402.44.3.16.0

International atomic energy agency, Handbook of parameter values for the prediction of radionuclide transfer in terrestrial and freshwater environments, Technical Report Series, no 472 (2010).

John E. Till, Helen Grogan, Radiological Assessments Corporation, Helen A. Grogan President Radiological Assessments Corporation, (2008).

F.W. Whicker, T.B. Kirchner, A dynamic food-chain model to predict radionuclide ingestion after fallout Health Phys., 52(6), 717-737 (Jun 1987).

H. Velasco a, J. Juri Ayub a, U. Sansone, Analysis of radionuclide transfer factors from soil to plant in tropical and subtropical environments, (2008).

S.M.R. Aghamiri, M.R.D. Seaward, M. Beitollahi, Soil to-plant 226Ra concentration ratio in elevated narural radiation areas in iran, Journal of Radiological Protection, 22(2), (2000).

A.B. Ramadan, Soil-to-plant uptake of 137Cs and 85Sr in some Egyptian plants grown in Ins has region, Egypt, J Environ Radioact, (2021), doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106632.

M. Al-Oudat, Transfer factor of 137Cs and 90Sr to various crops in semi-arid environment, J. Environ Radioact, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106525.

L.A. Attar, Transfer factor of 90Sr and 137Cs to lettuce and winter wheat at different growth stage applications, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 150, 104-110 (2015).

Keith F. Eckerman, Jeffrey C. Ryman, External exposure to radionuclides in air, water and soils, Federal Guidance Report, NO. 12 (1993).

S. Topcuoglu, et al, Transfer of caesium-137, strontium-90 and polonium-210 from soil to maize and black cabbage crops, (2003).

Classification of soil systems on the basis of transfer factors from soil to reference plant, Report of Final Research, Coordination Meeting Organized by the Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

A. Kabata-Pendias, A. Mukhergee, Trace elements from soil to human, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 561 (2007).

United States environmental protection agency, Understanding Variation Inpartition Coefficient, Kd, Values. Volume II. 402-R-99-004B (1999).

Dharmendra Kumar Gupta, Clemens Walther, Radinuclide Contamination and Remediation Through Plants, (2014).

A. Paassikallio, The effect of time on the availability of strontium 90 and cesium 137 to plants from finnish soils, Annales Agriculturae Fenniae, 109-120 (1984).

M.C. Rota, V.R. Vallejo, Effect of Soil Potassium and Calcium on Caesium and Strontium Uptake by Plant Roots, J. Environ. Radioactivity, 28(2), 141-159 (1994).

A. Kabata-Pendias, H. Pendias, Trace Elements in Soils and Plants, 3rd ed. CRC Press, Washington, D.C (2001).

Hillel-Daniel, Getting to know soil physics, Translated by Mirza Khani Reza. Tehran University Publishing Center (1382) (In Persian).

International atomic energy agency, Quantification of Radionuclide, Transfer in Terrestrial and Freshwater Environments for Radiological Assessments, TECDOC-1616 (2009).