Transfer of radionuclides to fruits: The activities of the biomass fruits working group

¹ Crop Science Department, Horticulture Research International, West Malling, East Malling, Kent ME19 6BJ, U.K.
² Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29100 Piacenza, Italy
³ T.H. Huxley School of the Environment, Earth Resources and Engineering, Imperial College at Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7TE, U.K.
⁴ Mouchel Consulting Ltd., West Hall, Parvis Road, West Byfleet, Surrey KT14 6EZ, U.K.
⁵ Department of Radiochemistry, University of Veszpré m, P.O. Box 158, 8201 Veszpré m, Hungary
⁶ Environmental Sciences, Westlakes Scientific Consulting Ltd., Moor Row, Cumbria CA24 3LN, U.K.
⁷ NRPB, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0RQ, U.K.
⁸ Division of Environmental Health and Risk Management, School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K.
⁹ Arthur D. Little Inc., 20 Acorn Park, Cambridge, MA 02140, U.S.A.
¹⁰ Institute of Protection and Nuclear Safety (IPSN), Division of Environmental Protection (DPRE), Laboratory of Environmental Modelling (LMODE), CE Cadarache, 13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance cedex, France
¹¹ Food Standards Agency, Radiological Protection and Research Management Division, Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, Room 715B, London WC2B 6NH, U.K.
¹² CIEMAT, Dept. de Impacto Ambiental (DIAE), Edif. ЗА, Avenida Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid, Spain
¹³ SCK-CEN, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
¹⁴ Enviros QuantiSci Ltd., Building D5, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB, U.K.

Abstract

Given the potential radiological significance of the transfer of radionuclides to fruit, a Fruits Working Group was set up in 1997 within the framework of the Programme on BIOsphere Modelling and ASSessment (BIOMASS), promoted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in co-operation with the International Union of Radioecology (IUR). The aim of this working group was to improve understanding of the processes affecting the migration of radionuclides in fruit systems and to identify uncertainties associated with modelling the transfer of radionuclides to fruit. The main activities of the Fruits Working Group included : (i) a review of experimental, field and modelling information on the transfer of radionuclides to fruit ; (ii) a derivation of a fruit conceptual model ; (iii) a database of model parameters ; (iv) a collection of additional information from experimental studies ; (v) model intercomparison studies ; and (vi) a validation study. This paper presents an overview of the main activities and results.