Work

Modeling and field trials optimize crop-based phytoremediation of soils contaminated with radioactive strontium and cesium

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: When agricultural soils are contaminated by strontium-90 ( 90 Sr) and cesium-137 ( 137 Cs), remediation is needed to ensure effective decontamination and food safety. This study developed an integrated phytoremediation framework for 90 Sr- and 137 Cs-contaminated soils in Southern China, combining field trials with a novel kinetic model that accounts for soil-to-plant transfer, species-specific sensitivity distributions, and internal human dosimetry. Field trials were conducted to generate sufficient soil–plant transfer data, which were used to parameterize and validate the kinetic model describing radionuclide migration within the soil–plant–human system. Our work is among the first to couple field-based phytoextraction data with organ-specific dose modeling. The framework enables predictive evaluation of radionuclide transfer and dose, supporting optimized crop rotations in radiologically-impacted farmland. Field trials revealed significant soil contamination, with 90 Sr activity concentrations ranging from 5.50 × 10 2 to 6.59 × 10 2 Bq·kg −1 , and 137 Cs levels from 3.91 × 10 2 to 6.16 × 10 2 Bq·kg −1 . The study found that hyperaccumulating leafy vegetables, such as cabbage and spinach, exhibited high transfer factors for 90 Sr (up to 1.47) and 137 Cs (up to 3.90), making them effective for initial soil decontamination. Low-uptake crops, such as corn and wheat, were identified as suitable for long-term sustainable cultivation, as they exhibit minimal radionuclide transfer to edible parts, thereby reducing foodborne health risks. Predicted internal effective doses from crop consumption were calculated for male and female populations, with reductions being up to 70 % in model-predicted internal radiation exposure under optimized crop selection.

Source: Soil & Environmental Health

DOI: 10.1016/j.seh.2025.100191

Authors: Tian Zhang, Shaofei Cao, Meie Wang, Siqi Liu, Yang Yang, Weiping Chen

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, China Institute for Radiation Protection

Language: English

Topic: Radioactive contamination and transfer

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,800