• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.960-966
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• 2021

A technical approach to design and carry out an experiment to determine the uptake of selected radionuclides in site-specific conditions in Kuwait was developed and successfully executed for developing a radioecological decision support system. The radionuclides from soil-to-plant transfer factors have been obtained for leafy and non-leafy vegetables, and root crops cultivated in Kuwait. Two types of vegetated soils were selected and spiked with high concentrations of three relatively short-lived selected radionuclides (⁸⁵Sr, ¹³⁴Cs, and ¹³³Ba). The highest strontium and barium transfer factors were found in the order: leafy vegetables > root crops > non-leafy vegetables. The approximate range of radiocesium transfer factor was found to be low in all plant groups and was comparable to those reported elsewhere in different soil types of temperate and tropical environments. A strong negative correlation between the obtained transfer factors and the distribution coefficient of the radionuclide in soil was found. It is recommended to adopt the newly derived parameters for the sensitive areas in Kuwait and other Gulf countries instead of using the generic parameters, whenever dose calculation codes are used. This will help to more accurately assess and predict the end results of the committed effective dose equivalent through ingestion pathway.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2000

For analyzing the direct contamination pathway of radionudides in rice plants, a Solution containing $^{54}Mn,\;^{57}Co,\;^{85}Sr,\;^{103}Ru$ and $^{134}Cs$ was applied to the aboveground Parts of the between RI application and harvest. Its highest observed value was 0.94. The fractions of the initial plant deposition that remained in rice plants at harvest were in the range of $19{\sim}47%,\;17{\sim}43%,\;19{\sim}42%,\;23{\sim}61%$ and $11{\sim}69%$ for $^{54}Mn,\;^{57}Co,\;^{85}Sr,\;^{103}Ru$ and $^{134}Cs$, respectively, when no decay was assumed. The translocation factors of those radionuclides in hulled seeds were in the range of $6.9{\times}10^{-4}3.8{\times}10^{-2},\;3.6{\times}10^{-3}{\sim}1.6{\times}10^{-1},\;5.8{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}3.2{\sim}10^{-2},\;1.6{\times}10^{-4}{\sim}7.6{\times}10^{-3}$ and $3.2{\times}10^{-2}{\sim}2.0{\times}10^{-1}$, respertively, and were highest when they were applied at the stage of active seed development. It was indicated that the remaining percentage and translocation factor would not be greatly affected by the difference in the rain frequency if it is within a factor of 2. These results can be utilzed for predicting the radionuclide concentrations in rice seeds when an accidental deposition of those radionuclides occurs during the rice-growing season.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.73-90
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• 2004

The Reg. Guide 1.109 model was reviewed against its applicability to calculating radionuclide concentrations in agricultural products for operating nuclear facilities and an improved method was proposed. The model was so modified that the radionuclides deposited since the start of operation could be considered in assessing the root uptake. Translocation factors were introduced in the equation for calculating the concentrations in edible parts due to direct plant deposition. Values specific to Korea were set up for the input parameters of the modified model. The concentrations of $^{54}Mn,\;^{60}Co,\;^{90}Sr\;and\;^{137}Cs$ in rice seeds, Chinese cabbage and radish root were calculated for various hypothetical deposition histories using the Reg. Guide 1.109 model and the modified model with parameter values in the guide and those specific to Korea put in alternately. Through comparisons among the results, it could be expected that the use of the modified model with the input of parameter values specific to Korea would result In a more resonable and realistic assessment.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

In spite of colossal efforts taken for safe handling and storage of radioactive waste, the uncontrolled release of radiocesium ($^{137}Cs$ and $^{134}Cs$ isotopes) into the natural environment is inevitable. $^{137}Cs$ is of particular concern because of its long half-life, ability to transfer into biota through food chains, as well as its great mobility, bioavailability, and chemical and ecophysiological similarity with potassium. Radiocesium is released anthropogenically into the environment. Mushrooms are known for their ability to accumulate radionuclides, particularly radiocesium, which is heterogeneously distributed in the individual parts of mushrooms, and it is found that mushrooms are a hyper-accumulator of radiocesium from their environment than other vegetation. Mushrooms play a major role in the mobilization, accumulation, and translocation of cesium, i.e., decontamination of soils (mycoextraction) polluted with cesium radioisotopes, and this capacity appears to be a relevant bioindicator of cesium contamination in the environment. Moreover, the extension of mycelium into the soil makes the use of mushrooms as bioindicators of radiocesium possible. This paper reviews the potential of mushrooms in the accumulation of radiocesium from the environment, and dissertates the salient features to support the employment of mushrooms in environmental biomonitoring as a sensitive bioindicator of radiocesium contamination.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.30-34
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• 1983

The present study was carried out to determine the effect of a radionuclide, cesium-137, in soybean, which is an element released usually from nuclear facilities. Soybean plants were grown on the pots treated with cesium-137 $0.5{\sim}60{\mu}Ci/1kg$ soil and the uptake, translocation and accumulation of the radiocesium in the plant parts were measured at different growth stage. The results are summarized as follows: 1) Visual toxic symptoms on the plants due to treatment of radioactive cesium were not observed up to $60{\mu}Ci/10Kg$ soil in a pot. 2) The uptake of cesium-137 in soybean plant was increased with increment of concentration applied, while the uptake of potassium was proportionally decreased, indicating to have an ion antagonistic relationship between them. 3) The absolute amounts of cesium-137 in the plants were gradually increased by the pod setting stage, but rather reduced at harvesting stage. The accumulation occurred more in the leaves and stems than the soybean seeds. 4) The rate of uptake was ranged from 0.069 to 0.005 with proportional decrease by increasing concentration applied and the rate of Cs-137 translocation from plants to seeds was averaged 38.6% in soybean plant. The concentration coefficient was 0.04 in the soybean seeds from the pots treated with $20{\mu}Ci$ of cesium-137 and decreased with increment of cesium-137 applied.