Transfer of 137Cs and 40K from Agricultural Soils to Food Products in Terrestrial Environment of Tarapur, India

Abstract

The 137 Cs and 40 K activities and transfer factors from soil to vegetables, grass, and milk from villages located around Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) were determined using high-resolution gamma spectrometry. A total of 32 soil, 21 vegetable, 23 dry paddy grass, and 23 milk samples were collected from 23 different agricultural farms from various villages around TAPS to determine transfer factors for natural environment. The mean concentration values for 137 Cs and 40 K in soil, grass, and milk were 2.39± 0.86 Bq kg −1 , 0.31 ± 0.23 Bq kg −1 , and 12.4 ± 5.7 mBq L − 1 and 179±31 Bq kg − 1 , 412± 138 Bq kg −1 , and 37.6±9.3 Bq L −1 , respectively, for soil-grass-milk pathway. In the soil-vegetation pathway, the mean concentrations values for 137 Cs and 40 K were 2.15±1.04 Bq kg −1 , 16.5±7.5 mBq kg −1 , and 185±24, 89±50 Bq kg −1 , respectively. The evaluated mean transfer factors from soil-grass, grass-milk, and soil-vegetation for 137 Cs were 0.14, 0.0044, and 0.0073 and that of 40 K were 2.42, 0.0053, and 0.49, respectively. Only 15 out of total 44 milk and vegetable samples were detected positive for 137 Cs, indicating a very low level of bioavailability.

Determination of Radioactive Contaminant <sup>137</sup>Cs (Fission Product) and Comparison with Natural <sup>40</sup>K Present in Mexican Strawberries

“…It shows that some physiologic attribute of strawberry helps to better retain 137 Cs and may allow bioaccumulation in this fruit's tissue (Guillaume et al, 2012). There is certain relation in pathways of + K and + Cs absorption observed in other plants (Kumar, 2008;Dragović et al, 2004;Panchal et al, 2011). Mainly since both ions have same charge and similar properties because they belong group 1 on the periodic table (Butkus & Konstantinova, 2005), certain inverse relation between the 40 K and 137 Cs could be seen in Figure 3.…”

Synthesis of N,N,N′,N′-Tetraoctyl-3-oxapentane-1,5-diamide (TODGA) and Its Steam Thermolysis-Nitrolysis as a Nuclear Waste Solvent Minimization Method

“…Commonly, the HLW is vitrified and buried in nuclear geological repositories to allow the decay of radioactive metals such as 90 Sr, 99 Tc, and 137 Cs . However, the transport of hazardous radionuclides in the form of their oxometallates (e.g., TcO 4 – ) from the nuclear repositories to the environment and then to the living organisms through a food chain is of a severe risk, which necessitates the careful surveillance of nuclear repositories for a longer period. − To reduce such a long and obligatory surveillance period of nuclear repositories and for the sustainable development of nuclear energy, the partitioning of radioactive metals from HLW and their subsequent transmutation (P & T method) is being professed seriously, by several countries. − After the separation of radioactive actinides and lanthanides, the remaining residual solid waste can be vitrified and buried in subsurface repositories at much reduced risk and cost …”