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Summary Flooded (paddy) rice (Oryza sativa) can take up ions from the irrigation water by foliar uptake via the exposed stem base. We hypothesised that the stem base uptake of radiocaesium (RCs) is a pathway for rice grown in RCs-contaminated environments. We developed a bi-compartmental device which discriminates the stem base from root RCs uptake from solutions, thereby using RCs isotopes (137Cs and 134Cs) with

The options adopted for recovery of agricultural land after the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents are compared by examining their technical and socio-economic aspects. The analysis highlights commonalities such as the implementation of tillage and other types of countermeasures and differences in approach, such as preferences for topsoil removal in Fukushima and the application of K fertilizers in Chernobyl. This analysis shows that the recovery approach needs to be context-specific to best suit the physical, social, and political environment. The complex nature of the decision problem calls for a formal process for engaging stakeholders and the development of adequate decision support tools. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:662-666. © 2016 SETAC.

Uranium (U) causes oxidative stress in Arabidopsis thaliana plants grown at pH 5.5. However, U speciation and its toxicity strongly depend on environmental parameters, for example pH. It is unknown how different U species determine U uptake and translocation within plants and how they might affect the oxidative defense mechanisms of these plants. The present study analyzed U uptake and oxidative stress-related responses in A. thaliana (Columbia ecotype) under contrasted U chemical speciation conditions. The 18-d-old seedlings were exposed for 3 d to 25 µM U in a nutrient solution of which the pH was adjusted to 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, or 7.5. Results indicate that there is a different rate of U uptake and translocation at the different pHs, with high uptake and low translocation at low pH and lower uptake but higher translocation at high pH. After U exposure, an increased glutathione reductase activity and total glutathione concentration were observed in U-exposed roots, pointing toward an important role for glutathione in the root defense system against U either by chelation or by antioxidative defense mechanisms. In leaves, antioxidative defense mechanisms were activated on U exposure, indicated by increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activity. As it seems that U toxicity is influenced by pH, it is important to consider site-specific characteristics when making U risk assessments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:2125–2133. © 2013 SETAC

Summary After the Chernobyl accident in 1986 the fate of radiocaesium from the fallout became of pressing concern. Specific soil amendments, as K fertilizer and specific clay minerals, promised to mitigate the worst effects. We therefore investigated the influence of bentonite and the K status of the soil on the radiocaesium equilibria in soil and on its availability to ryegrass. A sample of a sandy soil was contaminated with 134Cs and amended with K and Ca salts (0–0.97 mmol kg−1) and K bentonite (0–2%). After 4 weeks' incubation of the soil mixtures, ryegrass was grown for 18 weeks in a pot trial and harvested on seven occasions. No significant treatment effects on 134Cs activity concentrations were found at the first and second harvest. From the third harvest onwards, however, 134Cs activity concentrations in the grass were reduced up to twofold (P 1% bentonite) increased about 10-fold during plant growth. The RIP of the K bentonite after plant growth was up to 10 times larger than that of pure illite. The formation of specific Cs sorption sites is ascribed to the in situ illitization of the K bentonite. The increase in RIP during plant growth is reflected in a decrease in exchangeable K+ at 2% K bentonite of about 18%. Radiocaesium concentrations in grass could be reliably predicted from the Cs+ and K+ concentrations in the soil solution. Adding K bentonite to a soil contaminated with radiocaesium is effective in fixing Cs in the soil.

The recent events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in Japan, have raised questions about the accumulation of radionuclides in soils, the transfer in the food chain, and the possibility for restricted land use in the foreseeable future. This article summarizes what is generally understood about the application of agricultural countermeasures as a land management option to reduce the transfer of radionuclides in the food chain and to facilitate the return of potentially affected soils to agricultural practices in the vicinity of the Fukushima plant.