RADIATION & RISK
Bulletin of the National Radiation and Epidemiological Registry
since 1992

Accumulation of Cs-137 and Sr-90 by lettuce culture (Lactuca sativa L.) from radioactively contaminated soils of the former Semipalatinsk test site

«Radiation and Risk», 2022, vol. 31, No. 4, pp.94-106

DOI: 10.21870/0131-3878-2022-31-4-94-106

Authors

Polivkina Ye.N. – Head of Lab., C. Sc., Biol. Contacts: 2b Beibit-Atom Str., Kurchatov, East Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan, 071100. Tel.: +7(72251)32720 (162); e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Mendubaev A.T. – Engineer, Master's degree
Kenzhebaev R.A. – Engineer
Nemytova L.A. – Technician
Ivanova A.R. – Head of Group, Master's degree
Kenzhina L.B. – Head of Lab.
Panitsky A.V. – Head of Dep., C. Sc., Biol. Branch IRSE NNC RK.
Ponomaryova T.S. – Design Engineer, Master's degree. “ECOEXPERT” LLP.
1 Branch Institute of Radiation Safety and Ecology of the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov, Kazakhstan
2 "ECOEXPERT" LLP, Karaganda, Kazakhstan

Abstract

The paper presents the study of 137Cs and 90Sr transfer from soils of the former technical sites of the Semipalatinsk test site to the salad culture (Lactuca sativa L.) as an example of the leaf vegetable. The factors affecting the transfer of the radionuclides from soils with a different character of radioac-tive contamination to the salad culture were identified under the model vegetation experiment conditions. The variation ranges of 137Cs and 90Sr transfer factors values were 2 and 1 orders of magnitude respectively. With the use of the private correlation method, it was found that the content of biologically available forms of 137Cs and 90Sr in the soils of the former Semipalatinsk test site, and, consequently, accumulation of these radionuclides by the salad, depended on their non-isotopic analogs K and Ca concentration in the soil, respectively (rxy–z=-0.81; n=4, p<0.2 – for 137Cs and gross K; rxy-z=-0.64; n=4, p<0.2 – for 90Sr). There was a moderate positive relationship between the value of 137Cs transfer factor and physical clay content (fraction >0.01%) in the soil (ρ=0.47; n=12, p<0.05), the relationship between value of 90Sr transfer factor and the physical clay content was weak negative (ρ=-0.3; n=11, p<0.05). The migration of 137Cs and 90Sr to the salad culture from the radioactively contaminated soils of the Semipalatinsk test site mainly depended on biologically available forms content of radionuclides and their non-isotopic analogs K and Ca speciation, respectively. The impact of physical clay on the accumulation of 137Cs and 90Sr by the salad culture was less pronounced, it could be due to the specific conditions for radioactive contamination of the soil surface in the territory of the former technical sites of the Semipalatinsk test site.

Key words
Semipalatinsk test site, radioactive contamination, former test sites, 90Sr, 137Cs, migration, salad (Lactuca sativa L.), transfer factor, forms of radionuclides location, bioavailability.

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