scholarly journals Soil-to-maize Transfer Factor of Natural Radionuclides in a Tropical Ecosystem of Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-10
Author(s):  
N.E. Adesiji ◽  
J.A. Ademola

Soil-to-plant transfer factor (TF) is a parameter utilized in predicting the accumulation of radionuclides in the plant system. Virgin soil from an uncultivated area and tailings from an abandoned tin mining site were used to formulate three soil groups. Group A (virgin soil only), group B (tailings only) and group C (equal mixture by mass of the virgin soil and tailings). Pot experiments were performed using the soil groups to determine the transfer factors of 40K, 238U and 232Th in maize (Zea mays L.) plants for the tropical ecosystem of Nigeria. The activity concentrations of 40K, 238U and 232Th in the soil groups and the maize plant compartments (seed, stem, leaf and root) were determined using NaI(Tl) gamma-detector. The geometric mean (GM) of the TF values for 40K, 238U and 232Th respectively ranged from 0.02 to 0.27, below detectable limit (BDL) to 0.008 and 0.01 to 0.09 in the in the seeds; 0.04 to 1.74, BDL to BDL and 0.01 to 0.29 in the stems; 0.03 to 0.93, BDL to 0.33 and 0.02 to 0.08 in the leaves and 0.03 to 1.29, 0.05 to 0.38 and 0.08 to 0.41 in the roots.. Potassium-40 had the highest TF values and exhibited the plant accumulation strategy for all the plant compartments. The stem samples had the highest TF for 40K and BDL values for 238U for all the soil groups. Significance differences were observed only in the accumulation of 40K and 232Th across the soil group. Keywords: Radioactivity, potassium, mining, Gamma-ray detectors, calibration

2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 659-672
Author(s):  
Sk. A. K. Arafin ◽  
Md. Sapan Bhuiyan ◽  
Jannatul Ferdous ◽  
M. Ashraful Hoque ◽  
A. K. M. Rezaur Rahman ◽  
...  

The study aimed to investigate natural radioactivity levels and Transfer Factors of natural radionuclides from soil to some plants in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The concentrations of naturally occurring and anthropogenic radionuclides in soil and plants were measured in this work to determine the absorbed dose rate and the transfer factors of radionuclides from soil to plant. Plants (Spinach and Vegetables) and corresponding soil samples were collected from three different locations in Chittagong (Nasirabad, Sitakunda, and Halda Agrotechnology), and the concentrations of activity of natural radionuclides were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry. The average absorbed dose rate in the soil of Nasirabad, Sitakunda, and Halda Agrotechnology are 49.84 nGyh-1, 37.4 nGyh-1, and 45.6 nGyh-1. The average transfer factor from soil to plants, recorded for 238U, 232Th, and 40K of these study areas, are 0.461, 0.400, and 3.10, respectively. The ratio of soil to plant transfer factor for the present study compared with some previous work. The Transfer Factor of 40K gives some high value but does not exceed the limit of the different published values. Because there are no existing databases for the natural radioactivity in soil and plants from Chittagong, Bangladesh, our results are establishing a database for the Chittagong, Bangladesh soil and plants. This data may be used as a database for further investigation for the betterment of public health.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Haque ◽  
J. Ferdous

The radioactivity of environmental samples from nuclear reactor sites must be analyzed before the public is given free access to the plants grown in these soils. Plant and corresponding soil samples were collected from a sample site around the Savar research reactor near Dhaka (Bangladesh) and the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides <sup>226</sup>Ra (<sup>238</sup>U-chain), <sup>228</sup>Ra (<sup>232</sup>Th-chain) and non-chained <sup>40</sup>K were measured using gamma ray spectrometry. Soils of Savar contained more radioactive <sup>40</sup>K than <sup>226</sup>Ra and <sup>228</sup>Ra. The influence of certain soil properties on the activity concentrations and transfer factors (TF) of natural radionuclides were investigated by correlating the observed data with those of soil properties. The activity concentrations of <sup>40</sup>K were much higher than those of <sup>226</sup>Ra and <sup>228</sup>Ra in plants due to higher uptake from soils. The transfer factors for <sup>226</sup>Ra, <sup>228</sup>Ra and <sup>40</sup>K were found to range from 0.04 to 0.10, 0.12 to 0.32, and 0.24 to 0.72, respectively. The soil to plant transfer factors for <sup>40</sup>K was found to be much higher in plants, which might be due to this element being vital in plants. This study showed that activity concentrations of these radionuclides in plants and their plant transfer factors seem to depend on the activity concentrations of the same radionuclides in soil.</p><p><strong> </strong>


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 17-23
Author(s):  
Rabia Sabir

The goal of current research was production of bivalent adjuvant based inactivated I-2 strain of Newcastle Disease (ND) and Avian Influenza (AI) vaccine and to compare efficacy with commercially available bivalent inactivated vaccine. Experiment was carried out on one-day-old broiler chicks by dividing them into 3 groups A, B & C. Vaccine was injected on 7, 14, 21 and 28 day. Blood samples were collected on 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 day. Results of Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) test presented the geometric mean titers of group A and B were <1:4, 1:18.8, 1:115.2, 1:358.4, 1:128 & <1:4, 1:8.4, 1:36.8, 1:56, 1:22.4 respectively for AI. Similarly the geometric mean titers of group A and B were <1:4, 1:19.6, 1:89.6, 1:320, 1:115.2 & <1:4, 1:9.2, 1:25.6, 1:36.8, 1:22.4, respectively for ND. However, control group showed <1:4 geometric mean titer. The challenge was given on 28th day and birds were monitored for next 7 days for clinical signs. The chicks of group A showed no clinical signs of diseases (AI, ND). However, in group B 60% morbidity and 90% mortality was recorded on 4th and 6th day of post challenge, respectively. While 100% mortality was recorded in control group.


1993 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solange Artimos de Oliveira ◽  
Akira Homma ◽  
Léa Camillo-Coura ◽  
Maria Lucília P. Loureiro ◽  
Maria Teresa G. N. de Almeida

ln order to study the measles antibody behavior of three vaccination schedules, 684 children were divided into 4 Groups: Group A (341 vaccinated children under the age of one); Group B (101 children at the age of one); Group C (74 children under the age of one and one at the age of one); Group D (163 unvaccinated children with a history of measles in the past - Group control). Children of Group A presented lower rates and 25.9% of the age group under two did not show any measles antibodies. In Group B, all the children presented antibodies. In Group C onby 4.0% did not. In all age groups, the geometric mean HI antibody titers of Group A were lower than the valuesfound in the other groups. The age at vaccination was the factor of greater influence on the results of this study.


2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Di Lorenzo ◽  
ML. Pacor ◽  
P. Mansueto ◽  
M. Esposito Pellitteri ◽  
C. Lo Bianco ◽  
...  

Subjects with rhinitis but without asthma may have coexisting bronchial hyperresponsiveness, although the reasons for this are uncertain. To evaluate the factors that determine BHR in rhinitis we examined 410 patients with symptomatic rhinitis with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥ 80% of the predicted value. In all subjects a skin prick test (SPT) was performed, a determination of total serum IgE and an eosinophils count in the blood. Of the 410 subjects we found that 161 (39.3%) exhibited a methacholine PD20 of 800 mg or less (Group A), whereas 249 (60.7%) had a methacholine PD20 more of 800 mg (Group B). Despite the matched mean values for FEV1 and FVC, compared with Group B, Group A had a lower predicted forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% (FEF25%-75%) (86.7 ± 12.0 vs. 93.7±7.3, P < 0.0001). A great portion of the subjects of the Group A in respect to subjects of the Group B were exposed to passive smoke (37.8% vs. 22.0%, P = 0.0008), reported having mothers with asthma (34.1% vs. 6.0%, P < 0.0001), presented a positive skin prick test (93.7% vs. 67.0%, P < 0.0001), had higher levels of total serum IgE (geometric mean of Log10 2.46 ± 0.27 kU/L vs. 2.06 ± 0.38 kU/L, P < 0.0001) and higher blood eosinophil counts (geometric mean of Log10 2.67 ± 0.07 × 10−3 mL vs. 2.57 ± 0.09 × 10−3 mL, P < 0.0001), and reported increased nasal obstruction (2.0 (95%CI 1.8 to 2.2) vs. 0.6 (95%CI 0.5 to 0.7), P < 0.0001). Logistic regression demonstrates that nasal obstruction (OR 2.19,95%CI 1.72 to 2.80) and the presence of positive SPT (OR 6.15,95%CI 2.42 to 15.61) were the most available predictors to discriminate between subjects with BHR and subjects without BHR. In addition, BHR was positively related to blood eosinophil counts (OR= 2.80, 95%CI 1.54 to 5.07), FEF25%-75% values (OR= 2.72, 95%CI 1.23 to 5.99) and familiarity (mother) for asthma (OR = 2.45, 95%CI 1.10 to 5.46). Whereas passive smoke and total serum IgE were not positively related to BHR. Increased nasal obstruction and the presence of positive SPT were the most available predictors to discriminate between subjects with and without BHR. Finally, BHR was positively related to blood eosinophil counts, FEF25%-75% values and to familiarity (mother) for asthma.


Author(s):  
C. P. Ononugbo ◽  
O. Azikiwe ◽  
G. O. Avwiri

Radioactivity distribution and transfer factor (TF) in plants are crucial parameters used to assess radioactive contamination in the environment, impact of soil radioactivity on agricultural crops and its risks to humans.  The root crop cassava (Manihot esculenta) provides about 50 percent of the calories consumed in Nigeria. Gamma - ray spectroscopy was used to measure activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in cassava root and soil. The average activity concentration of 40K, 226Ra and 232Th in cassava was 565.31± 13.17, 21.89±5.94 and 817.28±2.52 Bqkg-1 respectively. The mean activity concentration   40K, 226Ra and 232Th in soil range from 92.07±35.08 to 689.28±14.35 Bqkg-1with a mean value of 413.64±21.22 Bqkg-1, 5.37 ± 8.90 to 64.93 ± 7.23 Bqkg-1 with a mean value of 54.43 ± 3.22 and BDL to 928.15 ± 2.36 Bqkg-1 with a mean value of 561.67 ± 2.21 Bqkg-1. The transfer values for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were in the range of 0 to 1.81, 0 to 3.41 and 0.68 to 4.5 respectively. The high value of transfer factor for 40k may be due to its importance in plant growth, fertilization and adaptability of plant to environmental pressures. It may have also been enhanced by the application of NPK fertilizers in those farms. Thorium showed the highest mean transfer factor which may be due to its higher accumulation in soil and higher uptake by plants (Figure 3). The average transfer factors of 226Ra (0.99) < 40K (1.55) < 232Th (1.66) show that although activity concentration of the natural radioisotopes in the area under study are high, the rate at which they are transferred to cassava are still moderate.  The average values of radium equivalent activity (Raeq), absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose rate (AEDE), internal hazard index and excess life cancer risk (ELCR) are 1009.27 Bqk-1, 346.50 nGyh-1, 1.51 mSvy-1, 2.78 and 3.92 x 10-3 for respectively. These values were higher than their corresponding permissible values of 370Bqk-1, 55nGyh-1, 1.0 mSvy-1, 1.0 and 0.29 x 10-3 respectively. The mean values of Hex and Hin are greater than unity and may, therefore, constitute a significant radiological health risk. The mean annual gonad dose estimated value of 2943.90 mSvy-1  was above the world acceptable value of 300 mSvy-1 and the annual effective dose in all the samples except in few locations as shown in Figure 2, exceeded the safe value of 1.0 mSvy-1. The use of soil from these farms and the crops may constitute a threat to the bone marrow and general health conditions of the inhabitants.


1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (82) ◽  
pp. 771 ◽  
Author(s):  
DF Yule ◽  
KJ Coughlan ◽  
WE Fox

Eleven clay soils were sampled on the Darling Downs, Queensland. Five of the soils (group a) rarely exhibit poor wheat seedling emergence, but emergence problems are common in the remaining six soils (group b). The dry aggregate size distribution of prepared seedbeds was measured along with a number of basic soil characteristics. The modal aggregate size in both groups is 5-2 mm, but in group (a) sizes <2 mm are favoured as against aggregates >5 mm, whereas the reverse is true for group (b). These trends represent a natural characteristic of the groups, and are not the result of cultivation practices. The geometric mean size of dry aggregates of the two groups is significantly different as is the electrical conductivity of 1:1 soil:water suspensions. The possible causality of these soil properties is discussed, but no satistactory explanation is proposed.


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