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ASSESSMENT OF THE RADIOACTIVITY LEVELS IN IRISH SOILS AND THEIR TRANSFER INTO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE AS A RESULT OF THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT

Cel

AS ARESULT OF THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT A NUMBER OF ARTIFICIAL RADIOISOTOPES WILL BE PRESENT IN SOILS AND VAGETABLE OF SOME MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY FOR THE FORESEABLE FUTURE AT LEVELS WHICH MAY MAKE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO RADIATION DOSES TO THE POPULATION.

THE MORE IMPORTANT ISOTOPES WILL BE THOSE OF CAESIUM AND RUTHENIUM, BUT OTHERS MAY BE RELEVANT TO A LESSER DEGREE.

IT IS PROPOSED TO SELECT A NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVE LOCATIONS TYPIFYING THE RANGE OF DIFFERENT SOILS USED FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES IN IRELAND; TEN AREAS WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR THIS PURPOSE.
The project has succeeded in evaluating concentration ratios for a range of crops grown in Irish soils. This had not previously been done. It has highlighted certain soils parameters (pH, K and organic matter) which appear to influence transfer in certain conditions. Finally, it has identified areas which may benefit from further work.

The radioactivity levels in Irish soils, and their transfer into agricultural produce, as a result of the Chernobyl accident have been determined. Concentration ratios for a range of crops have been evaluated. This had not previously been done. The work has highlighted certain soil parameters (pH, K and organic matter) which appear to influence transfer in certain conditions.
AT EACH OF THESE LOCATIONS SOIL SAMPLES WILL BE TAKEN ON PASTURE LAND AND ON TILLAGE LAND. THE PASTURE LAND SAMPLES WILL BE IN THE FORM OF CORES, THE PROFILES OF WHICH WILL BE ANALYSED FOR RADIOACTIVE CONTENT IN THE DEPTH RANGES OF 0-2.5 CM, 2.5-5 CM AND 5-10 CM. THE TILLAGE LAND WILL BE ANALYSED OVER THE RANGE 0-20 CM. SAMPLES OF GRASS AND THE VARIOUS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, (GRAIN, LEAF VEGETABLES, ROOT VEGETABLES, FRUIT) WILL BE TAKEN SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE SOIL SAMPLES AND IN THE SAME AREA. ALL SAMPLES WILL BE SUBJECTED TO DETAILED GAMMA RAY OF SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS DOWN TO A DETECTION LIMIT OF 0.2 BQ/KG FOR CAESIUM ISOTOPES AND CORRESPONDING CONCENTRATIONS FOR OTHER ISOTOPES.
THE SOIL SAMPLES WILL BE SUBJECTED TO DETAILED LABORATORY ANALYSIS FOR PH, CATION EXCHANGE CAPACITY, PERMEABILITY, PARTICLE SIZE AND CLAY MINERALOGY USING STANDARD PROCEDURES.
SAMPLING AT THE SELECTED LOCATIONS WILL BE REPEATED THREE TIMES PER YEAR OR WHICH A HIGHER FREQUENCY IF THAT IS INDICATED BY THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS.
THE PROGRAMME WILL BE UNDERTAKEN IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH THE JOHNSTOWN CASTLE RESEARCH CENTRE OF THE IRISH AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE WHO HAVE UNDERTAKEN EXTENSIVE SURVEYS OF THE DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES OF IRELAND AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON AGRICULTURE. THEIR STAFF WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE SITE SELECTION PROCESS AND IN THE COLLECTION OFSAMPLES. THE SOIL CHARACTERISTICS WILL BE DETERMINED IN THEIR SOIL LABORATORY. THE ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY LABORATORY OF THE PHYSICS DEPT. AT TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK THROUGH THE ANALYSIS OF SOME OF THE SAMPLES BY HIGH RESOLUTION GAMMA SPECTROMETRY AND THROUGH THE PROVISION OF GENERAL ADVICE AND GUIDANCE.
IT IS PROPOSED THAT BOTH THE AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE AND THE PHYSICS DEPARTMENT OF TRINITY COLLEGE WILL PARTICIPATE AS SUB-CONTRACTORS.
THIS RESEARCH WILL ENABLE PRECISE ESTIMATES TO BE MADE OF SOIL TO PLANT TRANSFER FACTORS FOR THE VARIOUS TYPES OF VEGETATION IN THE PRINCIPAL SOIL TYPES IN IRELAND. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW AN ASSESSMENT TO BE MADE OF THE POPULATION DOSE AND EFFECTIVE DOSE EQUIVALENT TO MEMBERS OF VARIOUS CRITICAL GROUPS DUE TO THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT. THE PENETRATION OF THE DIFFERENT ISOTOPES THROUGH DIFFERING SOILS WILL ALSO BE DETERMINED OVER THE PERIOD OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH.
ATTENTION WILL BE PAID TO PREFERENTIAL ABSORPTION OF VARIOUS RADIONUCLIDES ON CLAY CONSTITUENTS.

Temat(-y)

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System finansowania

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Koordynator

NUCLEAR ENERGY BOARD
Wkład UE
Brak danych
Adres
20 LOWER HATCH STREET
DUBLIN 2
Irlandia

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