The classification of Russian soils on the basis of transfer factors of radionuclides from soil to farm crops

Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecofogy, Kievskoye shosse 109 km, 249020 Obninsk, Kaluga Region, Russia

Abstract

The accumulation of radionuclides in crops varies considerably for different soil-climatic zones being largely dependent on the soil properties. To group the data, relationships between TFs to different crops and soil properties were analysed. As a criterion for classification of mineral soils by transfer factors the granulometric composition (texture) was chosen. The generalisation of data within the identified soil groups has demonstrated that for different crop/soil combinations the volume of sampling is not the same. Therefore, a statistical processing of data was carried out. Clear-cut relationships between ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs accumulation in different crops and identified soil groups were found. The obtained data allowed us to derive rather stable ratios of geometric means for transfer factors for different soil groups which confirm the validity of data generalisation within the identified soil groups.