Radionuclide transfer to vegetables under sprinkler irrigation

The paper presents novel data on radionuclide transfer to vegetables under sprinkler irrigation. The experiments were conducted in the North Caucasus, a region of intensive irrigated agriculture, using common vegetable crops including tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, table beet, onions, potatoes, and cabbage. The research utilized a wide range of radionuclides ⁵⁹Fe, ⁶⁰Co, ⁶⁵Zn, ⁸⁹Sr, ¹⁰⁶Ru, ¹³⁴Cs and ¹⁴⁴Ce. The effects of element properties, irrigation rates, and the chemical characteristics of irrigation water on radionuclide accumulation in the crops were investigated. It was found that under sprinkler irrigation ⁶⁵Zn, ¹⁴⁴Ce, and ¹³⁴Cs exhibit the highest accumulation in the vegetative tissues of vegetable crops; ⁶⁵Zn, ⁸⁹Sr and ¹³⁴Cs show the greatest accumulation in the edible parts of the plants. Increasing the irrigation rate from 10 to 50 L/m² leads to a 1.5- to 3.2-fold increase in the concentration of ⁵⁹Fe and ¹³⁴Cs in plant tissues and a 1.2- to 3.3-fold increase in edible parts of plants. The paper also considers effects of the application of mineral fertilizers as a factor regulating radionuclide transfer to vegetables under irrigation. It is shown that irrigation timing and plant development stage are key factors governing radionuclide accumulation in vegetable crops.