Radionuclide transport above a near-surface water table: III. Soil migration and crop uptake of three gamma-emitting radionuclides, 1990 to 1993

Comparative uptake, translocation, and plant mediated transport of Tc-99, Cs-133, Np-237, and U-238 in Savannah River Site soil columns for the grass species Andropogon virginicus

This study examines the ability of the grass species Andropogon virginicus to alter the subsurface transport and redistribution of a suite of radionuclides (⁹⁹Tc, ¹³³Cs (stable analog for ¹³⁵Cs and ¹³⁷Cs), ²³⁷Np, ²³⁸U) with varying chemical behaviors in a Savannah River Site soil via the use of vegetated and unvegetated soil columns. After an acclimation period, a small volume of solution containing all radionuclides was introduced into the columns via Rhizon© pore water sampling tubes. Plants were grown for an additional 4 weeks before shoots were harvested, and columns were prepared for sampling. Plant presence led to decreased radionuclide release from the columns, mainly due to radionuclide specific combinations of system hydrology differences resulting from plant transpiration as well as plant uptake. For the most mobile radionuclides, ⁹⁹Tc followed by ²³⁷Np, plant presence resulted in significantly different soil concentration profiles between vegetated and unvegetated columns, including notable upward migration for ²³⁷Np in columns with plants. Additionally, plant uptake of ⁹⁹Tc was the greatest of all the radionuclides, with plant tissues containing an average of 44 % of the ⁹⁹Tc, while plant uptake only accounted for <2 % of ²³⁷Np and <0.5 % of ¹³³Cs and ²³⁸U in the system. Although overall plant uptake of ¹³³Cs and ²³⁸U were similar, the majority of ¹³³Cs taken up by plants was associated with ¹³³Cs already available in the aqueous phase while ²³⁸U uptake was mainly associated with the solid phase, meaning that plant activity resulted in a fraction of the native ²³⁸U being mobilized and thus, made available for plant uptake. Overall, this study quantified the influence of several plant-mediated physical and biogeochemical factors that have significant influence on radionuclide mobility and transport in this complex system which can be further utilized in future system or site-specific environmental transport and risk assessment models.

A radioecological model with moisture-dependent Kd: Application to 129I and 79Se natural release to a grassland

A radioecological model previously developed to simulate chlorine cycling in a Scots pine forest was modified to examine the effect of soil hydrochemical conditions on the fate of 129I and 79Se released to a grassland through natural discharge of contaminated groundwater. To this end, the constant solid-liquid distribution coefficient (Kd) in the original model was replaced by a parametric equation to estimate 129I and 79Se Kd values from soil saturation - as a proxy for soil redox potential - and a set of Kd values determined experimentally under oxic and anoxic conditions. Additionally, the multi-compartment Scots pine tree module was replaced by a two-compartment module to represent 129I and 79Se cycling in grass. Simulations undertaken with the model indicated a considerable effect of soil redox conditions on 129I and 79Se accumulation in the soil column, especially in the saturated subsoil above the water table. The constant Kd overestimated 129I accumulation in the soil in relation to the parametric Kd. In contrast, the constant Kd underestimated 79Se accumulation in the soil. These results have implications for radiological impact assessments, specifically regarding the degree of conservatism in the Kd used in the assessment. In respect of bioavailability to grass, the simulated soil-to-plant transfer factors of 129I and 79Se compared favourably with values reported in the literature for similar soils and plant species, giving confidence in the model performance. The model presented here is a step forward in radioecological modelling as it includes the key processes that drive radionuclide transfers in soil-plant systems and the effect of soil redox conditions on sorption. The model can be readily extended to other cultivated lands and release scenarios to predict radionuclide transfer up the food chain.

Fit-for-purpose modelling of radiocaesium soil-to-plant transfer for nuclear emergencies: a review

Numerous radioecological models have been developed to predict radionuclides transfer from contaminated soils to the food chain, which is an essential step in preparing and responding to nuclear emergencies. However, the lessons learned from applying these models to predict radiocaesium (RCs) soil-to-plant transfer following the Fukushima accident in 2011 renewed interest in RCs transfer modelling. To help guide and prioritise further research in relation to modelling RCs transfer in terrestrial environments, we reviewed existing models focussing on transfer to food crops and animal fodders. To facilitate the review process, we categorised existing RCs soil-to-plant transfer models into empirical, semi-mechanistic and mechanistic, though several models cross the boundaries between these categories. The empirical approach predicts RCs transfer to plants based on total RCs concentration in soil and an empirical transfer factor. The semi-mechanistic approach takes into account the influence of soil characteristics such as clay and exchangeable potassium content on RCs transfer. It also uses 'bioavailable' rather than total RCs in soil. The mechanistic approach considers the physical and chemical processes that control RCs distribution and uptake in soil-plant systems including transport in the root zone and root absorption kinetics. Each of these modelling approaches has its advantages and disadvantages. The empirical approach is simple and requires two inputs, but it is often associated with considerably uncertainty due to the large variability in the transfer factor. The semi-mechanistic approach factorises more soil and plant parameters than the empirical approach; therefore, it is applicable to a wider range of environmental conditions. The mechanistic approach is instrumental in understanding RCs mobility and transfer in soil-plant systems; it also helps to identify influential soil and plant parameters. However, the comlexity and the large amount of specific parameters make this approach impractical for nuclear emergency preparedness and response purposes. We propose that the semi-mechanistic approach is sufficiently robust and practical, hence more fit for the purpose of planning and responding to nuclear emergencies compared with the empirical and mechanistic approaches. We recommend further work to extend the applicability of the semi-mechanistic approach to a wide range of plants and soils.

A comparison between the example reference biosphere model ERB 2B and a process-based model: simulation of a natural release scenario

The BIOMASS methodology was developed with the objective of constructing defensible assessment biospheres for assessing potential radiological impacts of radioactive waste repositories. To this end, a set of Example Reference Biospheres were developed to demonstrate the use of the methodology and to provide an international point of reference. In this paper, the performance of the Example Reference Biosphere model ERB 2B associated with the natural release scenario, discharge of contaminated groundwater to the surface environment, was evaluated by comparing its long-term projections of radionuclide dynamics and distribution in a soil-plant system to those of a process-based, transient advection-dispersion model (AD). The models were parametrised with data characteristic of a typical rainfed winter wheat crop grown on a sandy loam soil under temperate climate conditions. Three safety-relevant radionuclides, (99)Tc, (129)I and (237)Np with different degree of sorption were selected for the study. Although the models were driven by the same hydraulic (soil moisture content and water fluxes) and radiological (Kds) input data, their projections were remarkably different. On one hand, both models were able to capture short and long-term variation in activity concentration in the subsoil compartment. On the other hand, the Reference Biosphere model did not project any radionuclide accumulation in the topsoil and crop compartments. This behaviour would underestimate the radiological exposure under natural release scenarios. The results highlight the potential role deep roots play in soil-to-plant transfer under a natural release scenario where radionuclides are released into the subsoil. When considering the relative activity and root depth profiles within the soil column, much of the radioactivity was taken up into the crop from the subsoil compartment. Further improvements were suggested to address the limitations of the Reference Biosphere model presented in this paper.

Ionic contribution to the self-potential signals associated with a redox front

In contaminant plumes or in the case of ore bodies, a source current density is produced at depth in response to the presence of a gradient of the redox potential. Two charge carriers can exist in such a medium: electrons and ions. Two contributions to the source current density are associated with these charge carriers (i) the gradient of the chemical potential of the ionic species and (ii) the gradient of the chemical potential of the electrons (i.e., the gradient of the redox potential). We ran a set of experiments in which a geobattery is generated using electrolysis reactions of a pore water solution containing iron. A DC power supply is used to impose a difference of electrical potential of 3 V between a working platinum electrode (anode) and an auxiliary platinum electrode (cathode). Both electrodes inserted into a tank filled with a well-calibrated sand infiltrated by a (0.01 mol L(-1) KCl+0.0035 mol L(-)(1) FeSO(4)) solution. After the direct current is turned off, we follow the pH, the redox potential, and the self-potential at several time intervals. The self-potential anomalies amount to a few tens of millivolts after the current is turned off and decreases over time. After several days, all the redox-active compounds produced initially by the electrolysis reactions are consumed through chemical reactions and the self-potential anomalies fall to zero. The resulting self-potential anomalies are shown to be much weaker than the self-potential anomalies observed in the presence of an electronic conductor in the laboratory or in the field. In the presence of a biotic or an abiotic electronic conductor, the self-potential anomalies can amount to a few hundred millivolts. These observations point out indirectly the potential role of bacteria forming biofilms in the transfer of electrons through sharp redox potential gradient in contaminant plumes that are rich in organic matter.

Effects of soil type, moisture content, redox potential and methyl bromide fumigation on Kd values of radio-selenium in soil

Understanding the processes that determine the solid-liquid partitioning (K(d) value) of Se is of fundamental importance in assessing the risk associated with the disposal of radio-selenium-containing waste. Using a mini-column (rather than batch) approach, K(d) values for (75)Se were determined over time in relation to soil moisture content (field capacity or saturated), redox potential and methyl bromide fumigation (used to disrupt the soil microbial population) in three contrasting soil types: clay loam, organic and sandy loam. The K(d) values were generally in the range 50-500 L kg(-1), with mean soil K(d) increasing with increasing organic matter content. Saturation with water lowered the measured redox potentials in the soils. However, only in the sandy loam soil did redox potential become negative, and this led to an increase in (75)Se K(d) value in this soil. Comparison of the data with the Eh-pH stability diagram for Se suggested that such strong reduction may have been consistent with the formation of the insoluble Se species, selenide. These findings, coupled with the fact that methyl bromide fumigation had no discernible effect on (75)Se K(d) value in the sandy loam soil, suggest that geochemical, rather than microbial, processes controlled (75)Se partitioning. The inter-relations between soil moisture content, redox potential and Se speciation should be considered in the modelling and assessment of radioactive Se fate and transport in the environment.

Soil migration, plant uptake and volatilisation of radio-selenium from a contaminated water table

The properties of (79)Se make it of likely potential importance in safety studies for geological disposal of radioactive wastes. Despite a substantial literature on toxic and nutritional aspects of selenium in the environment little consideration has been given to the behaviour of radioactive selenium and its potential transfer from a radioactive waste repository to the biosphere. Column experiments (15 x 50 cm), using a sandy loam soil, indicated that the upwards migration of (75)Se (as a surrogate for (79)Se) from a contaminated water table was dependent upon the redox status of the soil. Low redox conditions within the water table strongly limited upwards (75)Se soil migration, presumably due to the immobilisation of reduced Se species. Under natural conditions, (79)Se from a radioactive waste repository is therefore likely to accumulate at considerable depth. As a consequence, its absence from the rooting zone is likely to limit its transfer into plants. Nevertheless, the column experiments indicated that when an overlap between roots and soil contamination occurs, uptake into the plant is observed. Quantification of (75)Se volatilisation from the column surfaces suggested that this is a significant pathway by which (79)Se may move either directly from soil to the atmosphere, or from soil to plants and then to the atmosphere.

A comparison of the soil migration and plant uptake of radioactive chlorine and iodine from contaminated groundwater

A 6-month soil column experiment was conducted to compare the upward migration and plant uptake of radiochlorine and radioiodine from shallow, near-surface contaminated water tables. Both fixed and fluctuating water tables were studied. After 6 months, (36)Cl activity concentrations were relatively uniform throughout the soil profile apart from an accumulation at the soil surface, which was especially marked under a fluctuating water table scenario. In contrast, (125)I (a surrogate for (129)I) tended to accumulate at the boundary between the anoxic conditions at the base of the column and the oxic conditions above, due to its redox-dependent sorption behaviour. The uptake of (36)Cl by perennial ryegrass was much greater than that of (125)I due to its greater migration into the rooting zone and its ready availability in soil solution. In the context of radioactive waste disposal, where these radionuclides may potentially be released into groundwater, (36)Cl would be expected to present a greater potential for contamination of the biosphere than (129)I.

Dynamics of transfer and distribution of 95Zr in the broadbean-soil ecosystem

The transfer and distribution of (95)Zr in a simulated broadbean-soil system was studied by using isotope-tracer techniques. The results showed that the (95)Zr was mainly concentrated in the haulm, pod and root, and the activity concentration of (95)Zr in these tissues reached the maximum in the initial stage then decreased continuously. The activity concentration of (95)Zr in edible part-bean was relatively lower, which was just near to the detection limit. The (95)Zr in soil was mainly (97%) deposited in surface layer soil (0-6 cm), indicating that the (95)Zr absorbed by surface soil could not be moved downwards easily because of the strong adsorption. The dynamics of (95)Zr concentrations in broadbean and soil were also confirmed by application of nonlinear regression method.

Radionuclide transport above a near-surface water table: IV. Soil migration and crop uptake of chlorine-36 and technetium-99, 1990 to 1993

Vertical distributions of (36)Cl and (99)Tc are presented from deep and shallow lysimeters above artificially controlled water tables for a 4-yr experiment from 1990 to 1993. Activity concentration profiles were all measured in late summer when a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Pastiche) crop was harvested. After harvest, activity concentrations in different organs of the crop were determined and crop uptake quantified as both an inventory ratio (IR) and a transfer factor (TF(w)), weighted to account for differential root and radionuclide distributions within the soil profile. Vertical distributions of radionuclides, crop roots within the soil, and IR and TF(w) values were each subjected to analysis of variance to estimate the individual and combined effects of soil depth and the year of the experiment on the results obtained. Chlorine-36 and (99)Tc exhibited highly significant variations in activity concentrations with soil depth and from year to year, indicating considerable physical mobility of both radionuclides. Soil-to-plant transfer was also high for both radionuclides compared with data obtained for gamma-emitting radionuclides. The IR values indicated that up to 40% of (36)Cl was incorporated in the crop's tissues at harvest, compared with a maximum of less than 1% for the less mobile gamma-emitting radionuclides. On the basis of the TF(w) values determined, (36)Cl uptake by winter wheat exceeded (99)Tc uptake, indicating that (36)Cl is highly bioavailable. Factors controlling the migration and bioavailability of both (36)Cl and (99)Tc in soils are discussed.

Specific association of 36Cl with low molecular weight humic substances in soils

Soils initially contaminated with 36Cl in the chloride form were subjected to solid-liquid extractions using a variety of reagents including deionised water and 1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH). 1 M NaOH was found to result in the greatest recovery of 36Cl from the soils, a result which provided initial evidence that radioactive chlorine became attached to humic substances present naturally within the soils. Deionised water and 1 M NaOH extracts were subjected to analysis involving separation by gel filtration chromatography (GFC). It was found that 36Cl in 1 M NaOH extracts associated preferentially with low molecular weight (LMW) fractions of humic substances whereas, in deionised water extracts, 36Cl appeared to be present exclusively in the chloride form. Previous literature evidence, mainly from highly organic forest soils, suggests that conversion of stable chlorine from chloride to organic forms can occur as a result of biological action. The present paper also presents good evidence for the specific attachment of stable chlorine (37Cl) to a LMW humic fraction, again demonstrated using GFC separation. Current risk assessments of the deep geological disposal of solid radioactive wastes containing 36Cl typically assume a very low degree of sorption based on the notion that the predominant environmental species of radiochlorine is chloride. This paper concludes with a brief discussion on the implications of organochlorine formation in the biosphere for assessment of the radiological impact of deep geological disposal of solid radioactive wastes.