Potential sources affecting the activity concentrations of 238U, 235U, 232Th and some decay products in lettuce and wheat samples
Abstract
The activity concentrations of radionuclides within the uranium and thorium series were determined in wheat and lettuce at five sites in France, and in their respective potential sources: crop soils of wheat and crop soils and irrigation waters of lettuce. These data were used to calculate concentration ratios and to enrich the database supported by the technical report series N°472 of the IAEA (2010). For wheat and lettuce, the activity concentrations were in the same range for all radionuclides studied, except for 210Pb, which had higher activity concentrations in wheat, ranging between 1.3 and 11 Bq kg−1 (fresh weight) as compared to 0.4 and 0.7 Bq kg−1 (fresh weight) for lettuce. For wheat, the range of activity concentrations (mBq kg−1; fresh weight) decreased as 210Pb > 226Ra (56–1511) ≈ 228Ra (86–769) > 228Th (19–176) ≈ 238U (11–169) ≈ 234U (12–150) ≈ 230Th (9.08–197.18) ≈ 232Th (8.61–121.45) > 235U (0.53–7.9). For lettuce, it decreased as 228Ra (<320–1221) > 210Pb (409–746) > 226Ra (30–599) ≈ 228Th (<29–347) > 238U (8–120) ≈ 234U (8–121) ≈ 230Th (5.21–134.63) ≈ 232Th (5.25–156.99) > 235U (0.35–5.63). The species differences may reflect different plant physiologies. Through the study of activity ratios of wheat and lettuce in relation with those of the various radionuclide sources it has been possible to highlight the contribution of the main sources of natural radionuclides. Indeed, irrigation
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