Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Radiocaesium soil-to-wood transfer in commercial willow short rotation coppice on contaminated farm land

Gommers, A ; Gäfvert, Torbjörn LU ; Smolders, E ; Merckx, R and Vandenhove, H (2005) In Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 78(3). p.267-287
Abstract
The feasibility of willow short rotation coppice (SRC) for energy production as a revaluation tool for severely radiocaesium-contaminated land was studied. The effects of crop age, clone and soil type on the radiocaesium. levels in the wood were assessed following sampling in 14 existing willow SRC fields, planted on radiocaesium-contaminated land in Sweden following Chernobyl deposition. There was only one plot where willow stands of different maturity (R6S2 and R5S4: R, root age and S. shoot age) and clone (Rapp and L78183 both of age category R5S4) were sampled and no significant differences were found. The soils differed among others in clay fraction (3-34%). radiocaesium interception potential (515-6884 meq kg(-1)). soil solution K... (More)
The feasibility of willow short rotation coppice (SRC) for energy production as a revaluation tool for severely radiocaesium-contaminated land was studied. The effects of crop age, clone and soil type on the radiocaesium. levels in the wood were assessed following sampling in 14 existing willow SRC fields, planted on radiocaesium-contaminated land in Sweden following Chernobyl deposition. There was only one plot where willow stands of different maturity (R6S2 and R5S4: R, root age and S. shoot age) and clone (Rapp and L78183 both of age category R5S4) were sampled and no significant differences were found. The soils differed among others in clay fraction (3-34%). radiocaesium interception potential (515-6884 meq kg(-1)). soil solution K (0.09-0.95 mM), exchangeable K (0.58-5-77 meq kg(-1)) and cation exchange capacity (31-250 meq kg(-1)). The soil-to-wood transfer factor (TF) of radiocaesium differed significantly between soil types. The TF recorded was generally small (0.00086-0.016 kg kg(-1)), except for willows established on sandy soil (0.19-0.46 kg kg(-1)). Apart from the weak yet significant exponential correlation between the Cs-TF and the solid/liquid distribution coefficient (R-2 = 0.54) or the radiocaesium interception potential. RIP (R-2 = 0.66), no single significant correlations between soil characteristics and TF were, found. The wood-soil solution Cs-137 concentration factor (CF) was significantly related to the potassium concentration in the soil solution. A different relation was, however, found between the sandy Trodje soils (CF = 1078.8 X m(K)(-1.83), R-2 = 0.99) and the other soils (CF = 35.75 X m(K) (-0.61), R-2 =0.61). Differences in the ageing rate of radiocaesium in the soil (hypothesised fraction of bioavailable caesium subjected to fast ageing for Trodje soils only 1 % compared to other soils), exchangeable soil K (0.8-1.8 meq kg(-1) for Trodje soils and 1.5-5.8 meq kg(-1) for the other soils) and the ammonium concentration in the soil solution (0.09-0.31 mM NH4+ for the Trodje soils compared to 0.003-0.11 mM NH4+ for the other soils) are put forward as potential factors explaining the higher CF and TF observed for the Trodje soils. Though from the dataset available it was not possible to unequivocally predict the soil-to-wood- transfer, the generally low TFs observed point to the particular suitability for establishment of SRC on radiocaesium-contaminated land. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
soil-to-plant transfer, radiocaesium, short rotation coppice, willow, Chernobyl deposition, alternative land use
in
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
volume
78
issue
3
pages
267 - 287
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000225844200002
  • pmid:15511563
  • scopus:7044249447
  • pmid:15511563
ISSN
1879-1700
DOI
10.1016/j.jenvrad.2004.05.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6c565e2d-5553-44f6-b48f-df6d478f55ad (old id 258411)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:09:27
date last changed
2022-01-26 23:36:22
@article{6c565e2d-5553-44f6-b48f-df6d478f55ad,
  abstract     = {{The feasibility of willow short rotation coppice (SRC) for energy production as a revaluation tool for severely radiocaesium-contaminated land was studied. The effects of crop age, clone and soil type on the radiocaesium. levels in the wood were assessed following sampling in 14 existing willow SRC fields, planted on radiocaesium-contaminated land in Sweden following Chernobyl deposition. There was only one plot where willow stands of different maturity (R6S2 and R5S4: R, root age and S. shoot age) and clone (Rapp and L78183 both of age category R5S4) were sampled and no significant differences were found. The soils differed among others in clay fraction (3-34%). radiocaesium interception potential (515-6884 meq kg(-1)). soil solution K (0.09-0.95 mM), exchangeable K (0.58-5-77 meq kg(-1)) and cation exchange capacity (31-250 meq kg(-1)). The soil-to-wood transfer factor (TF) of radiocaesium differed significantly between soil types. The TF recorded was generally small (0.00086-0.016 kg kg(-1)), except for willows established on sandy soil (0.19-0.46 kg kg(-1)). Apart from the weak yet significant exponential correlation between the Cs-TF and the solid/liquid distribution coefficient (R-2 = 0.54) or the radiocaesium interception potential. RIP (R-2 = 0.66), no single significant correlations between soil characteristics and TF were, found. The wood-soil solution Cs-137 concentration factor (CF) was significantly related to the potassium concentration in the soil solution. A different relation was, however, found between the sandy Trodje soils (CF = 1078.8 X m(K)(-1.83), R-2 = 0.99) and the other soils (CF = 35.75 X m(K) (-0.61), R-2 =0.61). Differences in the ageing rate of radiocaesium in the soil (hypothesised fraction of bioavailable caesium subjected to fast ageing for Trodje soils only 1 % compared to other soils), exchangeable soil K (0.8-1.8 meq kg(-1) for Trodje soils and 1.5-5.8 meq kg(-1) for the other soils) and the ammonium concentration in the soil solution (0.09-0.31 mM NH4+ for the Trodje soils compared to 0.003-0.11 mM NH4+ for the other soils) are put forward as potential factors explaining the higher CF and TF observed for the Trodje soils. Though from the dataset available it was not possible to unequivocally predict the soil-to-wood- transfer, the generally low TFs observed point to the particular suitability for establishment of SRC on radiocaesium-contaminated land.}},
  author       = {{Gommers, A and Gäfvert, Torbjörn and Smolders, E and Merckx, R and Vandenhove, H}},
  issn         = {{1879-1700}},
  keywords     = {{soil-to-plant transfer; radiocaesium; short rotation coppice; willow; Chernobyl deposition; alternative land use}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{267--287}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Environmental Radioactivity}},
  title        = {{Radiocaesium soil-to-wood transfer in commercial willow short rotation coppice on contaminated farm land}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2004.05.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jenvrad.2004.05.007}},
  volume       = {{78}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}