Modification of the 137 Cs, 90 Sr, and 60 Co transfer to wheat plantlets by NH 4 + fertilizers

Abstract

Inorganic fertilizers are used as agricultural countermeasures intended to inhibit the soil to plant transfer of radionuclides after a radioactive fallout. Two NH₄⁺ fertilizers, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and NPK, were applied to soil contaminated with a mixture of radionuclides to analyze whether they modify the transfer of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr, and ⁶⁰Co and stable elements (K, Na, Ca, and Mg) to wheat plantlets grown under controlled laboratory conditions. DAP introduced NH₄⁺ in the soil, which can increase ¹³⁷Cs transfer, while NPK also introduced K⁺, which can decrease it. The application of DAP increased the accumulation of ¹³⁷Cs in wheat plantlets with increasing application rate, so did the ¹³⁷Cs/K in plantlets. Regarding the NPK application, the ¹³⁷Cs increased in all treatments, but at maximum rate, the available K introduced by the fertilizer was probably able to partially satisfy the nutritional requirements of the wheat plantlet and the ¹³⁷Cs decreased relative to the recommended rate. The ¹³⁷Cs/K ratio in plantlet decreased with increasing NPK rates. The transfer of ⁹⁰Sr increased with increasing DAP rate and only at the maximum NPK rate. The ⁶⁰Co transfer only increased at the maximum application rates for DAP and NPK. These modifications should be considered when using these fertilizers as agricultural countermeasures.

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