Dependence of the 137Cs soil-to-plant transfer factor on soil parameters
Schuller, P.; Handl, J.; Trumper, R.E.
Health Physics 55(3): 575-577
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0017-9078 PMID: 3170212 Document Number: 325905
In order to calculate the effect on humans of consuming food contaminated with 137Cs, it is necessary to establish the approximate value of the 137Cs soil-plant transfer factor, which can vary over many orders of magnitude. The dependence of this factor on soil properties was studied. Results show that, for the podzols analyzed and within the range of variability of the soil properties measured, clay content, exchangeable K+ and organic C predict the 137Cs soil-plant transfer factor almost as well as soil pH. As pH is easiest to measure, this factor can be estimated reasonably accurately from this property alone.