An investigation of radionuclide uptake into food crops grown in soils treated with bauxite mining residues

M. Cooper; P. Clarke; W. Robertson; I. McPharlin; R. Jeffrey

doi:10.1007/bf02038437

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Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Volume/Issue:: Volume 194: Issue 2

An investigation of radionuclide uptake into food crops grown in soils treated with bauxite mining residues

Authors:

M. Cooper

M. Cooper Australian Radiation Laboratory VIC 3085 Yallambie Australia

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P. Clarke

P. Clarke Australian Radiation Laboratory VIC 3085 Yallambie Australia

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W. Robertson

W. Robertson Western Australia Department of Agriculture 6151 South Perth WA Australia

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I. McPharlin

I. McPharlin Western Australia Department of Agriculture 6151 South Perth WA Australia

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R. Jeffrey

R. Jeffrey Chemistry Centre of Western Australia 6004 East Perth WA Australia

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Pages:: 379–387

Online Publication Date:: 14 Aug 2005

Publication Date:: 17 Jul 1995

Article Category:: Research Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02038437

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Abstract

Sandy soils of the coastal plain area of Western Australia have poor phosphorous retention capacity which leads to pollution of surface water bodies in the region. Application of bauxite mining residues (termed red mud) to vegetable and crops has been proposed as a solution to increase the phosphorous and water retention and thereby reduce the leaching of nutrients. The thorium and radium-226 concentrations in the red mud residues are in excess of 1 kBq/kg and 300 Bq/kg, respectively. Potentially, the use of these residues on agricultural land could result in increased levels of radionuclides in food crops grown in amended soils. The transfer of long-lived radionuclides of both the natural thorium and uranium series to a variety of vegetable crops grown under controlled conditions is investigated. The effects of varying the rates of application of red mud and phosphate fertilisers on radionuclide uptake are studied. It has been shown previously that fallout caesium-137 in sandy soils of the region transfers readily to food and grazing crops. Some of the parameters which influence that transfer are also examined.

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Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

Print ISSN:: 0236-5731

Online ISSN:: 1588-2780

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Journal of Radionalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Language	English
Size	A4
Year of Foundation	1968
Volumes per Year	1
Issues per Year	12
Founder	Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher	Akadémiai Kiadó Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245. CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible Publisher	Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN	0236-5731 (Print)
ISSN	1588-2780 (Online)