Abstract
Radiocontaminated soil in a paddy field in the Iitate village in Fukushima was treated with an industrial paper sludge carbon (PSC) prior to growing rice in May 2011. The results showed that the sum of the activity concentrations of 134Cs and 137Cs in the polished rice harvested in October 2011 was 30 Bq·kg−1, a level much lower than the Japanese governmental safeguard value of 100 Bq·kg−1. Upon contacting with the contaminated soil, the contents of calcium, magnesium, copper, potassium, and barium in the PSC were decreased. Among the PSCs impregnated with various chlorides and sulfates of the previously mentioned minerals, potassium chloride, copper sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and potassium sulfate yielded higher decontamination degrees compared to the original PSC. The results imply that radioactive cesium in the soil exchanges cations with these minerals.
Highlights
As the radiocontaminated soil from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986 is concerned, Guillitte and co-workers [1] proposed countermeasures such as the removal of contaminated surface soil, spraying contaminated canopies with detergents or cleaning agents, defoliation and removal of fallen leaves, as well as plowing after clear felling and prior to planting
The results suggest that the paper sludge carbon (PSC) was effective in preventing, though not completely, the transfer of 134 Cs and 137 Cs from the soil into various parts of the rice plant
The results of the paddy field test showed that an industrial PSC helped rice plants hold down the radiocesium content in polished rice to below the governmental safety level of 100 Bq·kg−1
Summary
As the radiocontaminated soil from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986 is concerned, Guillitte and co-workers [1] proposed countermeasures such as the removal of contaminated surface soil, spraying contaminated canopies with detergents or cleaning agents, defoliation and removal of fallen leaves, as well as plowing after clear felling and prior to planting. Zeolite was found to reduce the uptake of 134 Cs in peat soil by a winter wheat under well controlled laboratory conditions [2]. Zeolite decreased the transfer factors of 137 Cs and 85 Sr from sandy podzol soil to spinach [3]. Concerning the soil for crop production, ammonium-ferric-hexacyano-ferrate (II) is believed to be able to reduce the transfer of radiocesium to plants. Application of K- and Ca-containing fertilizers is thought to be effective in depressing the uptake by plants of radiocesium and radiostrontium. Other methods, such as phytoremediation [4], were proposed
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