The influence of soil properties on the transfer of 137Cs from soil to plant : results from a field study 21 years after the Chernobyl accident

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137Cs is one of a few radio contaminants from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 that is left in measurable quantities in Sweden. The hazardous radionuclide has a physical half-life of 30 years and enters easily into biological systems. Several studies have been performed on 137Cs and its behaviour in different ecosystems since the fallout. This study is one in a series performed in the five most affected counties of Sweden which were the counties of Uppsala, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Västernorrland and Jämtland. The aim is to describe the uptake of radiocaesium, originating from the Chernobyl accident, in arable soils and to characterize the soils and investigate the impact of the different soil variables on the 137Cs plant uptake. The soil characteristics varied both within and between the counties. The highest transfers of 137Cs to grass were found in the counties of Gävleborg and Jämtland which had many sandy and peaty soils. The lowest transfers were found in the counties of Uppsala and Västmanland where most of the soils were rich in clay. Stepwise regression analyses were used to characterize the importance of each soil property. The clay content was shown to be the most significant soil property that reduced the uptake. Soils with an organic matter content above 25 % had the highest transfers of all soils. The soils with a clay content below 10 % and an organic matter content below 25 % had higher transfer values and larger variances in uptake than soils with a clay content above 10 %. When the clay content reached above 10 % the transfer was much lower but still the variance in clay content was not of importance for the 137Cs uptake according to the regression equation. Instead, soil characteristics such as the concentration of organic matter and...