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Naturally Occurring Radionuclides in Agricultural Products: An Overview

Soil and Water Sci. Dep., Inst. of Food and Agric. Sci., Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

^* Corresponding author (hanlon{at}gnv.ifas.ufl.edu).

ABSTRACT

Low levels of naturally occurring radionuclides exist in phosphatic clays, a by-product of phosphatic mining and beneficiation processes. Concerns about these radionuclides entering the human food chain were an immediate research priority before the phosphatic clays could be reclaimed for intensive agricultural purposes. Efforts included the assembly of a large body of data from both soils and plants, part of which were produced by the Polk County (Florida) Mined Lands Agricultural Research/Demonstration Project (MLAR/DP). Additional detailed studies involving dairy and beef cattle (Bos taurus) were conducted by researchers working with the MLAR/DP. A national symposium was conducted in which data concerning the MLAR/DP work and other research projects also dealing with naturally occurring radionuclides in agriculture could be discussed. The symposium included invited review papers dealing with the identification of radionuclide geological origins, the geochemistry and movement of radionuclides within the environment, mechanisms of plant uptake, entry points into the food chain, and evaluation of dose and risk assessment to the consumer of low levels of radionuclides. The risk to human health of an individual obtaining 0.1 of his or her dietary intake from crops produced on phosphatic clays increased by 1 in 5 x 10⁶/yr above a control individual consuming no food grown on phosphatic clays. Leaf tissues were found to be generally higher than fruit, grain, or root tissues. The natural range in radionuclide content among various food types was greater than the difference in radionuclides content between the same food produced on phosphatic clays vs. natural soils.

Florida Agric. Exp. Stn. no. R-02497.

Received for publication June 25, 1992.